The sun's light
by YouMayKnowMeAsAngel
Summary: Apphia wants to join Artemis' hunt and become a free maiden, but Apollo, the god of light, has other plans for her. This is not a real myth, but one I made up. Rated M for language and *ahem* future scenes.
1. Gods are annoying

**Hey guys! So, this is a little tale I made up involving a girl and Apollo. It's not all fancy shmancy, and it is not a real myth. Feel free to be as cruel as you want, seeing how I need all the help I can get…**

It's not like I have anything against the gods, it's just that they can be a real pain in the ass sometimes. I mean, you keep praying for one to show up, and they never do. Then, when you don't want one to show up, they pop out with a big stupid grin on their faces. I guess you could say my troubles with the gods began on my 20th birthday.

I had just escaped the clutches of my mother, who seemed bent on keeping me in her sights at all times. I was treading through the woods behind our house, my quiver filled with arrows. You see, I was planning on joining Artemis' hunt, to become one of her sisters. To do this, I would have to get the goddesses' attention through archery. It was all part of my three step plan.

Step one: Go out into the woods everyday and practice shooting arrows (And not kill anyone in the process)

Step two: Attract the goddess' attention with my awesomeness

Step three: Swear myself to Artemis by leaving behind all male companionship

Ok, Don't get me wrong. I love a cute guy just like any other girl, but I love archery more. I would have given anything to join the hunt, so getting in would be simple, right? Wrong. I had been trying since I was fourteen. Six stinking years of standing out in the forest, shooting arrows at animals and targets. By my 20th birthday, I was an expert at archery. I could hit anything under the sun, so why did the goddess not appear to me?

I hurried to my usual clearing, where proof of my practice was spread out everywhere. Targets, bows, and arrows littered the ground. I sighed and pushed my long, golden, curly hair back. Unlike other girls my age, I wore my hair down instead of pinned up. I hate the feeling of all my hair piled high on my head. My green eyes searched the area for a target. I settled on a small bird in a tree. After praying to the gods, I killed it swiftly. I gave it up as a sacrifice to Artemis, but the goddess did not show herself.

After two hours of practicing, I sat on a fallen tree log, tired and defeated.

"Who am I kidding. She will never notice me." I grumbled. After I while, I started to sing. This happens sometimes, whenever I am filled with emotion. This time, the song was sad and filled with longing. I sang out my heart, my feelings floating out through my voice. After a while, I noticed that another voice had joined in with mine. I almost stopped singing, but the voice was so beautiful that I just couldn't. I harmonized with it, looking around for the source. Finally, the singer revealed himself to be the hottest man I had ever seen.

I shall describe to you in full detail all of his sexiness. He had perfect, shimmering blonde hair, and light blue eyes that reflected the sky. He was tall, tan, and handsome, and even though he was wearing a full length white toga, I could still tell that he had a six pack. I almost pissed myself.

He started to walked towards me, and away from the forest where he was hiding. He wore a smile on his face as he sang, and I couldn't help smiling back like an idiot. As he stepped into the clearing, the sunlight seemed to bend towards him, making him glow with an almost godlike light…

Wait. Hold the freaking chariot. Hot guy, beautiful voice, light bending….I gasped and stopped singing immediately. I fell to my knees in front of Apollo, the god of music and light.

"I-I'm so sorry my lord. I…I didn't realize it was you." I stammered, my head to the ground. I heard footsteps walking forward, and then they stopped in front of me.

"There is no need to apologize." He said, his voice gentle and kind. I glanced up to find that he was smiling down at me. The god bent down and pulled me to my feet by my hands. When I was up, he didn't let go of them. I found myself getting lost in his eyes, and I blushed a bit. Suddenly, I remembered why I was out here. I tried to take a step back, but he wouldn't let me go.

"Um, listen. I'm sorry, but I can't be here with you." I said, starting to get worried. He smirked.

"And why not?" I glared at him. Leave it to a god to be a smart ass.

"Because, I am planning on joining Artemis' hunt, and I can't be seen alone with a man." I said in a bitter tone. His smirk disappeared.

"Why would a beauty like yourself, want to be rid of a mans company?" I blushed a bit at his words, but I refused to let him keep me here. I tugged harder, but he only held me tighter.

"For plenty of reasons. Please, just let me go." I said through gritted teeth. I hate begging. He shook his head, his smile reappearing.

"Not until I at least know your name." At that point, I tried kicking out at him, but he pulled me closer. I started to get scared. I had heard stories about young girls and male gods, stories that never ended well for the girl.

"Let me go!" I hissed at him, still struggling. Suddenly, another voice spoke. I couldn't comprehend what it said, but all I cared about was that Apollo had weakened his grip. I slipped away and ran like my life depended on it, all the while thinking the same thing.

_Holy Zeus, I just go hit on by a hot god._


	2. Younger gods are annoying

**Hey people! So, this chapter is in Apollo's POV. Also, I wont be able to update a lot since I do have school work to do. But please, review and follow and I will write more!**

Apollo turned to the voice who had chased away the mortal girl, his eyes filled with rage. She had gotten away from him, before telling him her name so that he might find her again. Not only that, but she had shied away from him as if he was a monster. It wasn't as if he was ugly. He considered himself to be pretty attractive, considering he had a dick the size of a…but more on that later.

"Who's there? Show yourself." He demanded, snarling at the tree where the voice had come from. Laughter emitted from the tree, and a teenage boy's face popped out of the leafy branches. The young man was handsome, with fair curls that were shaped perfectly around his face. His bright blue eyes glinted with amusement as he grinned down at the god of light. It was alarming how much he looked like his mother.

"What? Are you not happy to see me cousin?" He asked, pretending to scoff. Apollo's eyes widened.

"Eros?! What…Why….You of all people to interrupt…" He stammered stupidly. Eros laughed again, and jumped out of the tree like only a god could.

"Interrupt what exactly?" The young god of love asked while examining one of his arrows. Apollo rolled his eyes.

"You know perfectly well what I mean. I was right in the middle of-" He stopped abruptly when he noticed the arrow. "Did you…"

"Did I shoot you?" Eros guessed. "Of course not! Believe me, you would know if I had shot you. Besides, I'm not allowed to shoot other gods." Apollo gave him a death glare, then took off into the woods in the direction that the maiden had run. He was dead set on finding her, with or without her name.

"You're not going to fine her!" Eros shouted after him, as if reading his thoughts. Apollo snorted. He glanced up at the flapping of wings. The insufferable idiot was flying above him, his arms crossed over his chest with an amused expression on his face.

"Please get down. I can see right up your toga." The older god complained.

"Nah. I like the breeze. Hey, slow down. Don't you want to know who she is?" That made him stop in his tracks.

"You know her?" Apollo asked, glaring up at the teen. Eros yawned and inspected his fingernails.

"Yup. I know all about that one." Apollo raised an eyebrow.

"Tell me about her." Eros grinned.

"Her name is Apphia Grace. She is the daughter of a wealthy merchant. I believe today she turns twenty." He paused to land on the ground. "She is not yet promised to a suitor." Apollo smiled at that. No need for him to "get rid" of anybody.

"Oh, and she plans on joining your sisters hunt." Eros said with a smirk.

"What?!" Apollo exclaimed. "No, that will work out! She must not join!" The young god laughed at him.

"Don't get your toga in a knot! She won't join. My mother made sure of that." He gasped and covered his mouth as soon as he realized what he had said. Apollo narrowed his eyes at his cousin.

"What, exactly, do you mean by that?" He demanded. Eros slowly put his hands down and grinned sheepishly.

"My mother has some…plans for that girl. Plans that would fail if she were to become a free maiden. She has taken certain measures to ensure that Apphia will not be noticed by Artemis." He said hesitantly. Apollo glanced back to where he and Apphia had first met. He knew all to well about Eros' mom, Aphrodite and her tricks.

"And why has your mother done this?"

"I don't know. She just told me to watch the girl." Eros sighed. "I'm not allowed to shoot her with my arrows, which is a pity. I like to see all pretty girls fall in love." He said, his bottom lip sticking out in a mock pout. "But, no matter. I'm sure Aphrodite has a man for her." At these words, Apollo stormed up until he was inches away from Eros.

"Tell your mother that I seek a meeting with her. As soon as possible." He said softly. Despite all the trouble he was going through at the moment, Apollo couldn't help but smile a bit. It had been a while since he had seen Aphrodite. Eros rolled his eyes as if he knew what the older god was thinking.

"Of course, your highness. You wish is my command." He grumbled. Pink clouds appeared out of thin air and wrapped around the god of love. When they had dispersed, Eros was gone. Apollo turned his face to the sky, still smiling.

"Soon, Apphia Grace. Soon, we will meet again."


	3. Aphrodite is annoying

Hey guys! So, sorry it took so long to make this chapter. It may take even longer for the next, seeing how busy and lazy my stupid ass is. Please, review! So far, I have only one…

Almost as soon as Eros had disappeared, Aphrodite's answer was sent, via dove. The small creature landed at the sun god's feet, and held out its leg. Apollo leaned down and detached the message from the bird. The parchment was soft, pink, and scented. He rolled his eyes. _Only Aphrodite._

The message was simple, only a few words.

_Meet me at my hideaway._

Apollo held his hand out, causing the paper to burst into flames. He smirked, then disappeared. When the god reappeared, he was standing in front of a small metal gate, no doubt forged by Hephaestus. Beyond the gate lay a stone walkway surrounded by a rose garden. In the middle of the garden sat a fountain. A statue of a man and a woman kissing lay in the center of the pool of water. In front of the fountain, a young woman sat. Her long blonde hair curled down her back in intricate braids, and she seemed to glow with youth and beauty.

Apollo stepped through the gate, and walked quickly up to the woman. She turned to him, and gave him a perfect smile. He stared at her for a moment, and then spoke.

"What, in the name of Hade's undergarments, are you wearing?!"

Aphrodite's smile widened. She stood, revealing the strange toga that she wore. It was a bright pink, and hugged her body tightly. It was held up by no means that Apollo could see, showing her bare shoulders and quite a bit of cleavage. The hemline stopped at her mid thigh, showing off her legs. She was wearing a pair of black shoes that rose her body off the ground at least six inches, with the help of stick like structures.

"I went to the Fates to see what fashion would be like in the future. They called this dress a strapless mini, and these sandals are called stilettos!" The young woman said excitedly with a girlish squeal.

Apollo pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Aphrodite, my dear, may I be frank?"

"You always are."

"You look like bitch in heat."

Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty and love, shrugged off his rude comment.

"Well, I like it. Anyways, you wanted to speak to me about that girl you like? Apphia?" She asked.

"Yes. Your annoying arrow flinging son told me that you have plans for her." Apollo said carefully.

"Oh, please forgive my son. He can be a little…enthusiastic. And yes, I do have plans for the girl." She strolled back over to the fountain and touched the water with her soft finger. The statues immediately began to change, showing a new image of Apphia herself. Apollo smirked at the statue. Even made of stone, the maiden was lovely.

"You see, the girl was planning on joining the Hunt, and I couldn't let that happen. I could tell by just looking at her that she was meant to be the wife of a god." Aphrodite continued, staring thoughtfully at the statue.

"Which god?" He asked. She laughed.

"Why, you of course, silly!" He smiled.

"Great! So, I can just take her as my wife?"

"Well, there's the confusing part. She's a bit…headstrong. Apphia does have feelings for you, but she doesn't realize it yet. You have to try and woo her." Apollo snorted.

"That should be easy. I'm pretty dam hot." To prove his point, his hands burst into flames.

"Oh, trust me. It will be a lot harder then you think. I have made things a little easier for you, making sure that Artemis and potential suitors can not take notice of her."

Apollo stared at her, shock written all over his features.

"That's not very nice. So the girl has just been ignored?"

She laughed again.

"All is fair in love and…and…I'll get back to that. The good thing is that technically she is yours for the taking. I suggest that you take her to Olympus, make her one of your helpers."

The music god nodded, still a little shocked. He made a mental note to never make Aphrodite his enemy.

"I will work on that. Thank you, for your help."

She gave him a radiant smile.

"Of course darling. I will do _anything to help a young couple fall in love."_


	4. Donkeys are annoying

Hey people! Sorry again that it took so long…again….Ok, so in this pathetic chapter we learn a bit more about Apphia, and about her family.

It had been four days since the meeting with Apollo….well, four days, six hours, 45 minuets, and 17 seconds, but whose counting? Anyways, I was out in the forest again, but far away from where I last saw him. I kept telling myself it was because I didn't want him to find me again, even though it was really because I didn't trust myself if he DID find me again. For some reason, the god's image and voice remained implanted in my brain, no matter how hard I tried to forget him.

I found myself thinking of him again, as I washed the laundry for my family. I shook my head, slapped myself twice for good measure, then concentrated back on my work. My lazy sisters were not here to help me, so I was forced to do it all by myself. They were getting ready for the festival that was happening in our village tonight, the one dedicated to Poseidon. A large ship was going out into the sea, they wanted to wish the crew luck, and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah... I couldn't possibly care less about this festival, but my parents were forcing me to go. It was probably part of their big plan to get some guy to notice me. I didn't know what it was, but men seemed to hate me. A woman was supposed to be married by the age of sixteen, and hear I was, twenty years old and no husband. Not that it bothered me. It meant that I still had a chance of joining the Hunt.

When I was finally done with washing the linen, I loaded all the clothing onto the small cart I had driven out to the forest stream. Since there was no place for me to sit, I grabbed the rope attached to the donkeys harness and urged him forward.

"You know what donkey? Men are idiots. I mean, they run around, choosing random girls to be their bride, then they complain about being stuck with those girls with the rest of their lives."

The donkey gave me a look, as if to say "Tell me about it."

"I know, right? And the gods are even worse! Going down Earth, falling in love with nymphs and us mortal women, and then ditching them without any second thought. Oh, and did I tell you what almost happened to me and that idiot Apollo? Dear Zeus, he's the worse of them al-"

"You know, if I didn't know better, I'd say you have a crush on me." A deep voice said. I stopped immediately, and stared, dumbstruck, at the donkey. "It wasn't the animal." The voice said again. I whirled around to find not other then Apollo himself, leaning against the cart. He smirked at me.

"It's a good thing that you know better, then. I do NOT have a crush on you." I snapped at him, then turned and started to walk again. Suddenly, I could feel his hot breath on my neck. The idiot was walking behind me, our bodies almost touching.

_Gods, she's beautiful. Apollo thought to himself. Even when she snapped at him, he couldn't help but marvel at the way she looked, and the way she stood up to him. Yet, he needed to know if she felt the same was as him, as Aphrodite had said. He quickly crept up behind her as she began to walk again, their bodies mere inches apart. She let out a small, sexy, gasp as she realized where he was, and with just that one gasp, he was able to read her. He smiled. She did like him._

_I felt like a idiot. I didn't say anything to him, but continued to walk. He walked behind me, close enough so I could feel his breath never saying anything as well. I don't know how, but I knew he was smiling. I wanted to turn around and smack that smile off his extremely hot face. Instead, I decided by trying to get him to go away by using my most powerful tool…my voice._

"_Go away."_

"_No." I sighed. I had seen that one coming. If anything, he seemed to be moving closer._

"_Listen, I'm not one of those girls who will fall weak at the knees at the mere sight of you."_

"_Which is probably why you keep refusing to look at me." I growled, but didn't turn around. "I'm not like any of the other gods, Apphia." I shuddered a bit as he said my name, and then hoped he didn't notice._

_He did notice, and it made his smile widen. He decided to say her name again. "Apphia, I know you like me, and I will do whatever it takes to help you to realize that."_

_I whirled around, aiming to kick him, slap him, poke him, anything, but he was gone. I groaned out loud, cursing the gods, cursing the world, and cursing my stupid donkey who didn't do ANYTHING to defend me. And here I was thinking we were friends. Sheesh. I hurried home after that, hoping that I would never see that self-loving smart ass again, but of course, I was wrong. So, so wrong._

_My sisters helped me prepare for the festival. Well, its more like they forced me onto a stool, tied my hands back, and got me all dolled up. When they were finished, my youngest sister, Ena, spun the stool around so I could look in the mirror. My jaw hit the floor. My two sisters had somehow managed to tame my golden mane, and tie it up with bands so it looked elegant and beautiful. I had already put on this silk gown my mother had made for me. It was embroided with silk, and had a pattern of flowers and leaves that seemed to spin around in the light pick fabric._

"_Wow. Were good!" Glen, my other sister, squealed._

"_Yeah, you actually look presentable, for once." Ena teased. I rolled my eyes._

"_Unlike you?" I said, in a joking manner. Ena laughed. My siblings were wearing similar clothes, only less flashy. While mine showed a bit of cleavage, theirs was yanked up to the neck. _

"_I suppose mother had something to do with the…extra skin showing?" I implored, standing up._

"_Well, of course. This whole night is all about you getting a guy." Glen said, a bit exasperated._

"_I know, I know. Come on, lets go. Oh, and no going NEAR the wine. We don't want a repeat of the last festival." I gave Ena a meaningful look. She pretended not to know what I was talking about. I glanced out the window. The sun was starting to set, meaning that the festival was about to start._

_A/N: Like it? Hate it? Too much? Too little? Ok, I will seriously not write anymore unless I get some reviews. I ACCEPT CRITICISM! Just word it nicely, ok? Oh, and don't worry. More Apollo next…_


	5. My butt is annoying

Lots of beautiful sounds and smells filled the air as my sisters and I walked down the dirt road towards the celebration. Colorful lights filled the shops that sold bread and treats for the festival. Women and men alike were dressed in their finest attire, swapping stories and chatting with friends. The celebration was near the docks, so that the glorious vessel could be seen. Candles were lit around a small circle near the ship, where players were performing the tale of Persephone and Hades. I found the choice of play a bit ironic, seeing how this was meant to be a good luck festival for the sailors on the ship. My sisters went to watch the play, but I stayed away. I didn't want anything to do with gods tonight.

I was soon left alone, in the middle of the crowd, but not for long. A young man came up to me, and offered me a drink of wine. I was a bit surprised, seeing how men usually paid me no mind, but I accepted the drink. Thinking back, I can not really remember all of that night. All I know was that I talked with the young man for a while, then more men came along. I remember how they all thought that I was new to the kingdom, even though most of them had passed by me many times in the marketplace. I didn't really care though, I was having fun. They kept bringing me more and more wine, and I continued to drink, ignoring my own rule. I danced, drank, ate, drank, and drank some more. When the moon was high in the sky, I was so drunk that I could not tell my ass from my hand. I think I passed out, in fact, I must have, because I remember dreaming.

I was in a glorious meadow, the sunlight shining down on my face. I laughed and danced, carefree and happy. Soon, I found myself dancing with Apollo, his glorious smile shining in the sunlight. We danced until he caught me in his arms, holding me close. I leaned my head against his warm chest, happy and content.

"Apphia…" He whispered, and my dream melted into darkness.

Apollo's POV:

Apollo could see the lights from the festival as his chariot landed on the ground. The god was unseen by the villagers, which was fine with him. He didn't want to deal with the whole "What can we do for you, lord?" thing. He was only looking for one person tonight.

Surprisingly, Apphia wasn't that hard to find. She was laughing and drinking wine, surrounded by…men. Apollo felt his anger rise. The men gathered around her were talking and flirting with her, offering her wine in the hope to get her drunk. Aphrodite must have lifted the curse, which meant that he must act soon. Still staying unseen, he walked forward, deciding that it was time for action, not plans. However, before he could do anything, one of the men led Apphia away. He followed them, glaring at the couple. She was obviously drunk now, he could tell by her swaying. The man wasn't, and he had probably planned it that way. Apollo watched as he led her behind one of the shops, then pinned her against the wall.

Apphia started to struggle, but the man held her still. He began to rub his hips up against her, his hands groping for the brooch that would unleash the dress she was wearing. Apollo sprung into action, knocking the man down to the floor. He would have done more, but he heard a groan behind him. Apphia had fell to the ground, unconscious.

Apollo carefully scooped her up, searching for any signs of injury. Being the god of medicine, he was able to tell that her backside and tailbone was a bit bruised, but he would surely be able to heal that up. He looked around, making sure nobody saw him. He held Apphia close, and she leaned her head against his chest, murmuring softly. He smirked, and transported back to his chariot. Still unseen by the crowd, the god took off for Olympus with his lady in his arms.

Apphia's POV

Holy gods of Olympus, did my noggin hurt. It felt like Hephaestus had decided to bang my head with his gigantic mallet. I groaned and stretched my arms out on the bed, keeping my eyes closed. After a moment, I froze.

"Wait a second…" I felt around the sheets with my arms. My bed at home had cotton sheets, while this bed had silk ones. I opened my eyes, and immediately wished that I hadn't. The room seemed to be filled with blinding light, until I blinked painfully a few times. I was in somebody else's bedroom, for sure.

The room alone was about three times the size of my family's small shack, the huge white and golden bed only taking up about one fourth of it. The walls were white, with Parthenon like pillars in the corners. To the right of the bed, the room opened up to a large balcony overlooking a beautiful Greek styled garden. I groaned again, and slumped down in my pillow, my headache getting worse by the minute. I stared up at the ceiling, surprised to see a giant painted mural, with the twelve Olympian gods in all their glory. To be more accurate, they were all naked. I concentrated on the picture. One god was in the center, surrounded by light which drew all the attention to him…I gasped in realization.

Everything added up. The golden sheets, the pillars, the garden, the mural…I was in Apollo's palace, or in some nut's castle dedicated to him. I tried sitting up, but immediately fell back down. My ass felt like shit. I guessed that Hephaestus wanted to even out the damage he did to my head. I looked down at myself, relieved to see that I was still in my dress that I had worn to the festival. The festival!

I tried to remember what had happened, but everything was fuzzy. I remembered the dream clearly though, and that made me pissed. Apollo HAD really held me at some point. Some wimpy part of me was perfectly fine with that, but I shoved that part down with my aching ass.

I heard a sound like the singing of a chorus, and suddenly Apollo, the royal ass himself, was standing at the foot of the bed. He was wearing a different white toga, and that stupid smirk on his perfect face. He was holding a tray of food, which I guessed was for me. I crossed by arms and glared at him. He sighed.

"Hurry up and get the lecture over with." He said, and set the tray down.

"I'm in Olympus, right?" I demanded. He didn't answer. "Why did you take me here?" He looked back up at me, looking over my body as his eyes found my face. I felt my face get hot, and I pulled the sheets up.

"You were drunk." He answered. I frowned.

"But, I though that only immortals could enter Olympus…" His smile faded a bit, and he glanced at my right forearm. I followed his gaze, and screamed. Tattooed on my arm was a bright yellow sun, one of the symbols of Apollo. "WHAT…IS….THAT?!" I screamed, holding my arm up for him to see. I can be so charming and lady like when I want answers. His smirk widened.

"That, is my symbol. I had to take you here, and to do that, I made you my property." I was too shocked to speak. "It was foretold by the fates that we will be entwined together throughout time, so I took action." I shook my head to clear it.

"No, you're lying. I'm nobody's property…That's not true."

"It is, whether you like it or not." I am not proud to say that I completely lost it. I pulled my legs to my chest (despite the pain in my rear end) and hugged my knees. I put my head down, letting my golden hair fall over my face.

After a moment, I felt pressure on the right side of the bed, and I snapped my head up. Apollo was sitting on the bed, with an obvious attempt to comfort me. He stopped moving when I glared at him, and I put my head back down, trying not to cry. I refused to shed tears in front of him.

` I jumped a bit as he put his arm around me. I tried to pull away, but he held me tight. He pulled me toward him, and forced me to stare into his bright blue eyes. I tried to make myself scream, hit, kick, anything, but I was paralyzed. His eyes were so deep, so blue, so sexual….wait, what? Suddenly, he kissed me. My brain melted, and I couldn't think. His lips were warm and soft, and he smelled like peppermint.

I kinda blanked out for a moment, until I felt his tongue press against my lips, asking for entry. I came to my senses and broke the kiss. I realized that somehow, he had pressed me down against the bed. He was above me, both of his hands on either side of my shoulders. I realized that his shirt was off too, though I don't remember when he did THAT. I had to peel my eyes away from his giant muscles and gorgeous six pack as I scrambled away from him, falling off the bed in the process. I heard a laugh, and when I looked up, I saw him staring down at me from the bed, his eyes full of amusement. I did the thing that any woman would do in this situation. I took off my sandal, threw it at his face, got off my throbbing ass, and ran out of the room.

The only thing that was on my mind as I ran, was how good it had felt to kiss him, and how much I hated that good feeling.

Apollo's POV

When Apollo had walked into the room and saw that she was awake, he had silently cursed Morpheus, the god of sleep. If she had been asleep, he would have been able to admire her while not having to listen to her sharp tongue. Though, he had to admit, it did turn him on a bit.

As soon as he came in, the questions had started. He couldn't help but smile and stare at her figure while she talked, making her blush and pull up the covers of the bed. When he had broken to her the news of what he had done, she curled up into a ball. He knew she was trying not to cry, and he immediately felt guilty. Then , the feeling subsided. They were meant for each other, which meant that she was meant to be here. He had crawled on the bed, but she had ignored him. Acting on an impulse, he had pulled her close and kissed her. Her lips tasted just like he had imagined, soft and sweet. His heart basically leaped out of his chest when she kissed him back, and he pressed her down onto the bed.

There was a bit of planning behind his actions. She wouldn't be able to join the hunt now that she was his property, but she would still be able to pledge herself to his sister if she was a virgin. He was originally planning to wait a bit, but the moment was perfect. Plus, staring at her curves had made him a bit hungry. He had magically removed his shirt, and was just about to remove her dress when she broke the kiss. He had tried to enter her sweet, sweet mouth, but she had refused. Suddenly realizing what had happened, Apphia had scrambled away from him, a look of pure horror on her face.

Yet, before she had fallen off the bed, he had seen the look in her eyes. For a moment, they were filled with hunger. That's what had made him laugh, the knowledge that deep inside her, she wanted him too. Of course, he had not anticipated the flying footwear, but it had not hurt him. He let her go. She needed some time to think this through, and besides, she couldn't leave Olympus no matter how hard she tried.


	6. Men are annoying

Ok, I have a little bit of explaining to do. I have not been able to update a lot cuz' I had finals. Also, this is not my only story. I am writing two more, one about superheroes (not out yet…) and one about the Hunger Games. Go to my home page and check it out! Oh, also, please send me suggestions for this story! I'm running out of ideas!

I couldn't believe that Apollo had tried that! He was even a bigger jerk then I had imagined. I mumbled, groaned, and huffed until my throat was sore, and I had left his stupid palace. I looked around and sighed.

"Yup. Definitely on Olympus." I mumbled as a satyr trotted past, playing on his pipe. I was in front of Apollo's courtyard, standing on a dirt street. Olympus was strange. In some places, it was pure forest. In others, villages, homes, and gardens were sprinkled across the landscape. Strangely enough, I didn't see any mortals, only nymphs and satyrs. I walked though the supposedly holy ground of the gods, taking in everything. I momentarily forgot where I was when I saw the training arena. It was in the middle of one of the forest areas, which suited me just fine.

I entered the stone and marble archway that marked the entrance of the arena. There were stone seats rising up in a circle for audience members, though I don't know why anyone would want to watch someone train. There were a number of weapons lying around the arena, but I went straight for the bows and arrows. Targets automatically shot up from the ground, and I smirked. As long as I was there, I might as well get some practice done.

After a few rounds of shooting at the targets, I heard a noise behind me. I turned around swiftly, an arrow notched in my bow. I found a muscular man standing in the entrance of the arena, his arms crossed and a smug look on his face.

His skin was a bronze color, and seemed to glow in contrast to his red toga. His face was handsome, yet rigid, as if it had been carved out of stone. His eyes were a dark black, and something about them whispered danger. The man was obviously a god, or a demigod of great power. He was much taller then me, which made me a bit nervous. I didn't like the way he was staring at me, as if he could see through my dress.

"Who are you?" I demanded, raising my bow. He walked forward a few steps.

"That is no way to treat a god of Olympus, though I do admire your spirit." He answered, his voice deep and gravely.

"Which god are you?" I asked, not lowering the weapon. If this idiot thought he could intimidate me, he was wrong. He spread his arms in mock surprise, taking two more steps forward.

"Why, you don't recognize my stunningly good looks? I'm Ares, of course." I had guessed that he was, so I smiled a bit, but didn't lower my bow.

"I wouldn't brag about your looks."

"Oh? So are you suggesting that I talk about yours?" In a cloud of mist, he disappeared. I looked around in alarm, wondering where he was, until I felt someone's strong hands grip my shoulder blades, holding me still. Ares sniffed my hair, then leaned forward a bit to whisper in my ear.

"You hair smells…wonderful…I wonder what the rest of you will smell like…" I tried to turn, but he held me tight. He wrapped one strong arm around my neck, and the other trailed down my dress. When he had reached the hem, he started to pull it up, slowly. I tried to scream for help, but he was blocking my airway. Suddenly, Ares jumped away from me, yelping in pain. I hurried away from him, running towards the entrance, but someone was blocking the only way out.

A woman stood under the archway, holding a ivory bow. She had short, raven colored hair that was pulled out of her face with a silver circlet, with a lunar design on the front. She was wearing a dark blue toga that hung down to her knees. She, like Ares, seemed to glow. Her skin was so pale, it seemed like she was standing in a beam of pure moonlight…WAIT! HOLD THE FUCKING POTATO! It was Artemis! Goddess of the moon, maidenhood, and my life time idol!

I would like to say that I handled this confrontation like a mature woman would, yet, I was far from mature. I fell to my knees and started spluttering like an idiot. (Sound familiar?) Artemis glanced down at me, and then glared up at Ares, her silver eyes flashing. Ares, for a moment, looked like he had soiled his pants. Then, he regained his composure, and pulled the silver arrow that had been protruding out of his hand.

"Ah! Artemis!" He gave a mock bow. "Long time no see…"

"There's a point in that, you immature brute." Artemis replied coolly. She gestured to me. "What, exactly, were your actions with this young lady?" Ares sneered.

"That is my business, pale face, and not yours. Why don't you go kill a rabbit or something? I'm a bit busy at the moment." He marched over and yanked me to my feet. Then, in a blur of blue, he was thrown away from me and across the arena. Artemis stepped in front of me, protectively.

"Ares, you must never go near this young maiden again, do you understand me?" She said through gritted teeth. Ares got up, glared at us, the disappeared in a column of flame. I felt as though a huge weight was lifted off my shoulders.

"Oh, thank you my lady! You have no id-"

"Don't thank me just yet. He will be back." She said calmly, staring at the spot where the war god had disappeared. She turned to me, her expression becoming warmer. "Yet, do not fret. Just call on me and I will be here to protect you." She led me to a seat in the arena, and we both sat. "Now, tell me, how is it that you became so experienced with the bow and arrow?" I gawked at her.

"But, my lady, I have practiced ever since I could hold a bow, hoping to gain your attention and become part of your Hunt!" She frowned.

"That…does not make sense. I believe that you speak the truth, but I surely would have noticed your talents. It is what drew me to the arena." I didn't say anything, and she raised an eyebrow. "How did you come to Olympus, my child?" I sighed.

"Long story…" She smiled.

"And one that you do not wish to tell?" I nodded. "That is fine. It no longer matters how or why, but if you will join my hunt now." My eyebrows shot up into the sky.

"Seriously?"

"Seriously." She held out her hand, and I took it, my heart feeling like it was going to explode. I was so excited, I might have peed myself. Um, I mean, burst with joy. Suddenly her smile faded. She extended my arm, staring at the sun mark. "What…is this?" I rolled my eyes.

"Oh, right. Just some stupid thing that Apollo put on me. He believes that it will make me his property or something." I looked up at her, but I only saw pity in her eyes. "Wait, it can't be…real? I mean, I can't seriously be his property!"

"I'm afraid that my brother was speaking the truth. You are his property, and therefore, I can not accept you into my hunt." I let my arm go limp, and I felt my eyes begin to water. All my life, I had waited for this moment, only to have it ruined by a guy in sandals. Artemis lifted my head with her hand. "Don't despair, brave maiden. You can still train with me, and become a magnificent huntswoman." I smiled, but it was weak.

"Thank you, my lady." I said softly. I looked down at my feet, and felt a wisp of cold air beside me. The goddess was gone. I considered yelling, swearing, crying, but then I settled on something else. I looked up, my green eyes blazing with fury. I decided that I was going to have a little…talk, with Apollo.

Ares' POV

So close, and yet so far. He swore to himself, promising that he would see that maiden again, and then his wanting for pleasure would be satisfied.

Dun…dun…DUNNNNNNNNNN! Oooooh, interesting. This will not be the last that we see of Ares, by far. PLEASE OH PLEASE GIVE ME IDEAS! Oh, and sorry for the short chapter! The next will be longer…


	7. Vegetable gardens are annoying

Thank you guys for the suggestions, and please don't be upset if I don't use them. Some of them are great, but they just don't fit into the story line. So, without further nonsense, here's chapter 7...please do me a favor and don't fall asleep while reading it.

Apollo's POV

It was only after she left that he realized the mistake that he had made. He had given into his impulses, completely forgetting about the situation and her feelings. Not only that, but he had convinced himself that what he was doing was acceptable, which it obviously was not. Also, he had let her go out on Olympus, alone. Being a mortal girl that looked like she did, that was extremely dangerous.

The god took a deep breath, and put his toga back on. Who was he kidding? Apphia was smart enough to take care of herself, and with that smart mouth of hers, a person would think twice about harming her with just the threat of having their ear talked off. He smirked, and walked out onto the balcony. If she knew what the mark he put upon her really did, he would be dead. Sure, he was planning on telling her, but the first day was not the right time.

He stood there for the longest time, planning out how he could make her stay more comfortable. Despite his actions, he really did care for her, and he did not want to see her at any unease. The sun god was so deep in his thoughts, that he did not sense the pillow until it was too late.

It hit him square in the back of the head, and he whirled around, only to find Apphia herself. He had to force himself not to smile, because she looked like she was ready to murder him with the other pillow she held.

"Hello, Apphia." He said calmly. "Enjoyed your tour of Olympus?" For some reason, that seemed to make her angrier.

She sneered at him, her green eyes smoldering. "Apollo, I need you to explain something." She growled.

The god put his hands up in defense. "All right, I will explain anything that you want, just put…the pillow…down." He said carefully.

She held it in the air, ready to throw. "Please tell me if you knew that putting this mark on me…" She jabbed her other arm out, showing him his symbol. "…would stop me from joining the Hunt?"

He swallowed. So she had figured it out by herself. "Yes…I'm sorry, but I did know…" Just as he had suspected, the other pillow hit him in the face.

"SORRY?! You think that by saying sorry will make everything ok?!" His eyes widened as she lashed out at him, and he held her arms to keep her from hitting him.

He sighed, staring down at her as she glared up at him. "Listen, it has to be this way. It is the path that the fates have laid for us, and you can't deny your feelings." He said, speaking calmly and quietly.

She froze for a moment, her face flushing. "I don't know what you are talking about. I have no feelings for you." She said, her face betraying her.

He raised an eyebrow. "Oh, really? I distinctly remember you allowing me to kiss you, even kissing back once I-" She ripped herself out of his grip, and began to storm out of the room. For the life of him, he could not wipe the smile off his face. She just looked so cute and funny when she was pissed! "Where are you going?" He asked.

"To the fates!" She snapped over her shoulder. His smile disappeared. In a mere second, he had appeared in front of her, blocking her path. She gasped, taking a step back.

"Apphia, you can't visit the fates. I won't let you."

Her glare returned. "And why not?"

"They are extremely dangerous. They do not feel fear, and they know everything. They know how you will die, what has and will happen to you. Part of the reason why I brought you here was to keep you safe from the dangers on Earth, and it won't help if you continue to look for danger on Olympus." He urged, his face portraying nothing but the truth. She took a step back from him, as if thinking over what he had just said. Then, she pushed him out of the way, leaving without a word.

He froze, considering what to do. Should he go after her, and risk getting something much bigger thrown at him? Or, should he stay here, and let her go to the fates? Apollo sighed, and sat on the edge of the bed. He put his face in his hands, rubbing his temples. He had made his decision on what to do, and he didn't like it at all.

Artemis' POV

She was wearing a flowing pink gown, with a bright orange shawl wrapped around her shoulders, just a bit too carelessly. Artemis narrowed her eyes. She had always hated Aphrodite's choice in clothes.

The silver eyed huntress stepped into the temple, her silver eyes still fixed on the love goddesses' back. She continued to walk forward, her footsteps echoing on the cold marble floor. She stopped, only a few feet away, waiting for Aphrodite to speak first.

When she didn't, the young goddess crossed her arms over her chest. "You haven't noticed me." She spoke, her voice filled with distaste.

Aphrodite laughed, slowly turning to face the younger goddess. "On the contrary, honey, one could smell your stench from a mile away." The goddess of love mused, a fake smile plastered on her face.

Artemis' face remained cold, unfazed. "And I suppose that you smell better? With your overdoses of perfumed water, one could not possibly get your stench out of their nose." She said, her nose crinkling up.

Aphrodite sighed, walking past the huntress, her dress billowing over the floor. "Whatever did I do to make you so upset? We used to be such good friends." She said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

Artemis whirled around, her eyes filled with loathing. "You know perfectly well what you did…but that's not the reason why I am here." She growled through clenched teeth.

"Oh, really? I was under the impression that every time that you wish to converse with me, it has something to do with Orion…" Aphrodite sneered, still not looking at the younger goddess.

Artemis' bow had appeared in her hand, a fresh arrow ready and aimed at her enemy's back. "Don't you dare speak his name." She said, her voice dangerously quiet.

Aphrodite turned around swiftly, suddenly very angry. "I have every right to speak his name, seeing how I was the one who actually cared for him! You only saw him as a partner in hunting!" She seethed.

"Don't speak words that you know not to be true. I cared for him, more than I have ever cared for any other man…" Artemis said slowly, the arrow now aimed at the point between Aphrodite's eyebrows.

The love goddess smiled wickedly. "So, this is love now, isn't it? Fortunately for you, I am an expert on that subject." She snapped her fingers, and Artemis froze, unable to move. "Let me tell you all that happened, since you were never smart enough to figure that out on your own." She continued, stepping forward to peer into Artemis' flaming eyes. "Orion and I, before he met you of course, had a little…secret fling, you might call it…" The huntress wanted to run, scream, hit, do anything that would make Aphrodite stop talking about Orion, but of course, she could not move. "…He had promised me that I was his one and only love, and that he would stay true to me forever." She chuckled, then took Artemis' bow and arrow.

Aphrodite pretended to aim the arrow at a stone pillar, then much to Artemis' dismay, began to talk again. "As you can imagine, I was often very busy with my other gentlemen friends, so I could not watch over what he was doing. I was very protective of Orion. I did not want him to be hurt by a woman."

"Other then yourself, you mean?" Artemis' face muscles were beginning to move again, allowing her to speak.

Aphrodite offered her a wry smile that did not quite reach her eyes. "I did not know that he had met you in the woods, until he told me one night." She dropped the weapons, and folded her arms thoughtfully as the bow and arrow clattered on the floor. "I did not make anything of it, seeing how you are the maiden goddess, so I allowed him to hunt with you just as long as-"

"You _allowed _him to hunt with me?!"

"Don't interrupt me, or I may be forced to turn you into a lizard. Now, where was I? Oh, yes." Aphrodite stared at Artemis intently, waiting for a reaction. "It soon came to my attention that Orion was a bit, distracted, during my nighttime visits to his bed chamber. I didn't question it, I was a bit too lustful to notice. One night however, he let something slip. Instead of saying my name, as was the norm during our exercises, he had spoken _your _name." Artemis had not been expecting this, but she forced her face to stay devoid of any emotion. Aphrodite, upon not seeing the reaction that she had wanted, scowled, and continued in a much harsher tone. "He had not noticed his mistake, but I most certainly did. I made sure that I was watching the both of you hunt the next day, and I was not pleased."

"And why is that?" Artemis demanded, almost in a mocking tone.

"He seemed happy, much happier then he had been when he was with me." Aphrodite sneered. "I decided to take immediate action. I ordered my son, Cupid, to tell you of who Orion spent his nights with. That, unfortunately, only seemed to cause you to hate me instead of the hunter. That, along with the fact that Orion no longer wished to see me, caused me to make more dangerous choices. It seemed only fair that if I could not have him, neither could anyone else." She smiled again, and Artemis knew what was coming next. She could remember the day perfectly. "It was I who sent the scorpion after him, not your dear brother as everyone else had believed. You, as I knew you would, saw the truth. You did not tell anyone, but then of course, you did not know why I did it." The love goddess sighed, allowing Artemis to fully unfreeze. "You never seemed to understand love."

The grey eyed huntress froze as if she was still under the spell. Her mind raced, trying to decide what she should do. She could either smash Aphrodite's golden head against a pillar repeatedly, (a very inviting choice) or she could find a much more painful revenge. Smiling, Artemis began to form a plan in her clever mind.

Aphrodite, seeing the smile, raised an eyebrow. "What is it that you are smirking about?"

Artemis stepped forward, causing the other goddess to step back. "You will pay for this dearly, you disgusting excuse for a woman."

"What can you do? I am an immortal god of Olympus, you can't harm me!"

Her smile widening, the maiden goddess spoke slowly, her voice filled with malice. "Oh no, dear aunt. Physical pain is horrible, but only temporary. Emotional pain however, is much more unbearable, and permanent." With that, she swiftly began to walk out of the temple.

Aphrodite, confused, called after her. "If you are talking about Apphia, it is too late. You will not be able to change her fate!"

Artemis stopped for a moment, then spoke to her over her shoulder. "Like you said, friend, it was never about Apphia. We both knew that from the moment I stepped into this shrine."

Apphia's POV

Oh, I can be so very stupid at times, and I had begun to notice that when I was around Apollo. I had wanted to get away from him so much, that I had forgotten to ask him where the fates happened to be. I grumbled to myself, slapping the side of my head with my palm repeatedly. I kept trying to tell myself that I had rushed away because he had disgusted me, while in truth I had been scared of what I might of done. When I had come into the room, and he was standing all sexy-like on the balcony, I thought I was going to melt….Wait, what?

"I can't be thinking that!" I mumbled, gripping my head. "You hate him, remember?" Sighing, I took a look at my surroundings, gasping a bit when I found myself in a forest. I had been so busy arguing with myself (like the completely sane person I am) that I had not seen where I was going. I turned around in a slow circle, my eyes getting wider by the second. I could see no trail leading back the way I had come. I was as lost as a fat man in a vegetable garden.

"Do not despair, Apphia. You are not completely lost." Three rasping voices spoke at once. I jumped a bit, making a very brave noise that sounded like a small gerbil.

"Who's there?" I demanded.

"The ones that you search for. The Kindly Ones." The voices spoke again, becoming louder. The air shimmered in front of me, and three very old looking ladies soon materialized. They wore gross looking brown sheets of cloth, which were wrapped around their hunched old bodies. I could not see their faces, the cloth covered them, but I figured that was a good thing. Their hands were grey and wrinkled, their fingernails long and yellow.

I gulped. "Um…hi?"

The middle one stepped forward. "You have come to speak to us about your fate with Apollo, yes?" I nodded meekly. The three of them made a deep wheezing sound, which I guessed was laughter. "So be it then."

The one to my left produced a ball of golden thread out of thin air, and began to unravel it. As she did, she chanted. "Spinning through ancient time and space, the fate of the sun god has been placed. The mortal for whom he shall fall, shall come to him upon hearing his call…."

The one in the middle stretched out the string, picking up the chant. "She will not trust his love at first, but she will soon find a thirst. The goddesses of love and hunt will decide, whether the lovers join or divide…"

The third one took the string, then took out a pair of golden shears. "But if love does not prevail, a much worse fate will take sail. If the love which was made is left, the only path ahead is…" She swiftly cut the thread. "…death."

The three fates started to cackle, and I put my hands over my ears, not wanting to believe what I had just heard. The sound of their laughter spun around me, getting louder and louder. I kept hearing the "snip" sound that the shears had made when they had cut the string. The fates began to chant the prophecy at the top of their lungs, laughing the whole time. I don't remember the world going black, but I know I passed out, just like the fat man would do, starving to death in the fucking vegetable garden.

Apollo's POV

By the time he had got there, the fates were gone. Apphia lay all alone in the forest, apparently passed out. Smirking, Apollo swooped her up in his arms, like only a god could. He looked down at her angelic face and softly brushed away a piece of her golden hair. Suddenly, he wanted to cry out in frustration. It just wasn't fair. He loved her, more then anything in the world it seemed, yet she refused to return his love. Granted, he had taken her away from her home, but that was the way it must be. If she had stayed on Earth without Aphrodite's curse, her life would have been horrible.

Sighing, he materialized back in his palace. He started to bring her to the bed, but thought better of it, and lay her down on one of the plush couches instead. Apollo did not want a repeat of that morning. Almost as soon as he had laid her down, Apphia opened her bright green eyes.

For a moment, she looked scared, then her expression changed to slight annoyance. "Again?" She asked, and Apollo nodded, smiling a bit. Apphia sighed, and blinked quickly.

Apollo realized she was trying, unsuccessfully, not to burst into tears. "Hey, it's all right…" He said, wanting to comfort her. Suddenly, she wrapped her arms around his neck and sobbed into his shoulder. Apollo was stunned for a moment, then put his arms around her and rubbed her lower back. As she continued to cry, he put his hand on her head, sending a warm feeling throughout her body.

Apphia, not taking her head off his shoulder, breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks…" She whispered. Apollo tried to stop his heart from exploding, seeing how that might be the slightest bit embarrassing. Apphia pulled away slowly, sniffing a bit. Apollo noticed that she was still clutching his shoulders, and he looked up at her face, puzzled. He found himself staring into her forest green eyes, the same ones that had looked at him with so much fury this morning.

Apphia seemed to realize what was happening right when their lips were mere millimeters apart, right when Apollo could feel her soft breath on his face. She cleared her throat, and stood up quickly. "Um…well…thanks…" She said awkwardly.

Apollo slid a hand through his hair self consciously. "No problem…"

Apphia took a deep breath, as if preparing herself. "Look, we need to talk."

"About what?"

"About…us…and what the fates told me…"

"Oh…that." Apollo wanted to leap forward and kiss her, to stop her from saying whatever she was going to say next.

"You were right about the fates."

He smirked. "What? I don't think I heard you correctly…"

She rolled her eyes. "Holy Hera, you're such an ass-hole! Just listen, ok?" He nodded, still smirking. "I know that we are destined to be together forever, or else something horrible will happen, I will probably die, blah blah blah. The only thing wrong is…I don't love you." She said, her tone flat. Apollo shrugged. He was expecting that, but it did not matter. He knew the truth. "So, I wish to make a deal with you."

Apollo raised an eyebrow. "A deal?"

"Yes. I will stay here, on Olympus, with you." He grinned. "But…" His grin faltered. "…I will be allowed to go wherever I want, do whatever I want, and see whoever I want. And, I will be allowed to visit my family." Apphia said, and his smile disappeared completely. The look on her face had changed from unreadable, to pure smugness.

"And, what if I say no to this deal?"

"Then I will make your life a living hell." She said cheerfully.

"You already are….Kidding! Kidding!" He exclaimed after seeing the look on her face. "But, why is it that you want to stay here? Are you saying that you want to be near me?"

She tried to look angry, but Apollo could see the color on her cheeks. "No! Of course not! Listen, the prophecy says that I will not trust your love at first, but I will soon find a thirst, but it does not say what I will find a thirst for. Anyways, I know that you won't let me leave. Maybe, if I live with you, and love you like a friend loves a friend, I can get through this."

Apollo's mind raced. If he agreed to this, it would have its benefits along with its disadvantages. For one thing, Apphia would surely avoid him throughout the day, but, that did not mean that he could not go find her. Finally coming to a conclusion, Apollo held his hand out to her. "It's a deal."

Apphia smiled, taking his hand. With a quick jerk of his arm, he pulled her into a kiss.

After exactly four seconds, she pulled away. "Wh….the…the deal! We had a deal! Read my lips, D-E-A-L!"

"Oh, I'll read them all right." He started to pull her back in, but she wiggled out of his grip, her cheeks a bright red. "Besides, you never said that I had to leave you alone." Apollo took a step closer. "I can still try to win you over, no matter what you are allowed to do."

Apphia looked really confused for a moment. "You mean, I didn't say-"

"That I couldn't make a move on you? No, you didn't." Apollo said, taking yet another step forward. He reached his right hand out slowly, taking a lock of her hair. He twirled it around his finger, smiling when she did not do anything to stop him. Apphia seemed to be struggling with an internal conflict, and that meant that she wasn't talking, which also meant that Apollo has just scored some good luck.

Bringing the lock of hair to his cheek, he sniffed it, feeling it's soft texture. He was teasing her, trying to get her to give in to him. She was struggling, only in her mind. Her green eyes stared up at him in confusion, as if not understanding what was happening. Apollo slowly snaked one hand around her waist, and the other behind her neck. He closed the unholy distance between their lips, kissing her softly. Once she responded to his touch, he deepened the kiss, pressing hard against her lips. He rubbed his hand down her thigh, and under her short chiton. Her breath quickened, and Apollo could feel her frantic heartbeat.

He ran his tongue along her lips, begging her for entry. She kept them closed. With a small growl, he bit her lower lip, causing her to gasp in surprise. He plunged his tongue into her mouth, feeling around the sweet cavern. She responded slowly, getting used to the kiss, but soon their tongues were fighting for dominance.

Apollo pushed her softly against the wall behind them, and trailed his mouth from her lips to her jaw. She was breathing heavily, clutching his hair. His mouth reached her neck, and began to suck her soft skin. Apphia let out a soft moan, making him want to take her right then and there. Forcing himself to go slowly, he moved his hand from her leg to the area between them. She moaned again, and he had to stop himself from ripping away the thin piece of cloth that lay underneath his palm.

Apphia's P.O.V

I had a plan. A long, fucking brilliant plan to keep Apollo away from me, and allow me to continue to train with Artemis. I had thought of it while walking through the forest to those dam fates, and I had made sure that there was no loop holes. However, as soon as I told Apollo, my brain turned to mush and I left out the most important part of the deal. He was not allowed to touch me.

And there I was, pushed up against the wall, with his fucking hand up my fucking chiton, and me moaning my head off like a fucking moron. I have to admit though, it felt amazing. I had no idea that someone could make me feel that way. I clutched his hair, my head turned toward the ceiling. I tried to keep in my moans, but he was making me feel so fantastic that I couldn't control it. My lower area was hot and wet, and I'm sure that he could feel it through my underclothes.

He pressed and rubbed, making me bite my lower lip. Seeing this, he brought his mouth from my neck and back to my lips, biting my lower lip for me. I don't know when I came to my senses exactly, but I pushing him away from me, staring at his unreadable face. I ran away, thinking foolishly that this was not the first time I had left him because of the fear of my own emotions.

A/N: Holy fucking potato that was hard. I have been so busy lately, and I'm super (kinda) sorry that I was not able to update as soon as you guys would have liked. The little bit of smut I wrote at the end was almost impossible, so I have no idea how I'm gonna do the ultra smut that is coming closer and closer. Please please please review because all you guys wanting me to write was what got me off my lazy ass to write this chapter! Thank you soooooo much for all the nice reviews, and I will mention you guys personally on the next chapter, but now I have to watch the Super Bowl…


	8. Concerts are annoying

A/N: IMPORTANT! Ok, so in the last chapter, I referred to the fates as The Kindly Ones. There was some confusion about that, and some people told me that the furies are The Kindly Ones, not the fates. Those people are right, but so am I. Allow me to explain. Some retellings of Greek myths have the fates and furies as separated groups, while others have them as the SAME group. So the fates in some stories have these alter egos (like Superman) which are the furies. I'm sorry for the confusion, I should have explained that earlier…

These are the people who reviewed and I want to thank….P.S., I won't be doing this again, but I still enjoy and read your reviews!

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Apphia's P.O.V

Why are men so stupid? I know that I have asked that before, but WHY, dear Zeus, WHY? I mean, one moment they are total ass holes who steal you away to Olympus, then practically rape you in their castle, and then before you know what happened, they have turned into nice, friendly, funny gentlemen!

By the way, this is about men in general, not a specific person or god, like Apollo….*Ahem*

After our little kissing session, Apollo became extremely distant from me. He would be there in the morning when I ate breakfast, but he would eat at the far end of the mahogany table, and not look up from his food when I glanced at him. (Which I did a lot.) After breakfast, we would both go our separate ways. Me to Artemis, and Apollo to whatever work he did as the sun god. After my training session, I would wander around Olympus, looking at the scenery and conversing with the locals. I learned many things from them, like how to escape a wanton satyr, and the game "name that demigod".

Whenever I desired to visit my family, I would hitch a ride from a passing Pegasus. I did not know or care what the mortals on the ground might have thought as I flew overhead. Probably something along the lines of, "Oh my Gods, a virgin on a flying horse! The end has come!"

My parents had been, predictably, overjoyed that I had been chosen by a god. That is to say my mother was overjoyed, my father didn't seem to care. My relationship with my father was rocky. He didn't speak to me much, and I repeated the gesture to him. He, like my mother, had an ancient look about him that suggested that he might have once been very good looking. His fading hair was stock white , and lay flat against his wrinkled face. He usually wore the worn out clothes of an underclass man, and his eyes were as dark as coal. My mother was a short, chubby woman with curly gray hair that was usually pulled back from her face with a piece of cloth. She seemed to always be filled with boundless energy, reminding me somehow of a frumpy chipmunk.

My sisters were all beautiful, each having thick brown hair that trailed down their back like mine, only my hair was a golden color instead of a dark brown.

My sisters were hard to read. They seemed to be happy for me, although I was constantly telling them not to be. Sometimes they were very quiet around me, as if unsure of what to say. Eventually, I stopped visiting my family everyday, and settled on once a week instead.

I would ride back to Olympus, somehow passing through the magical borders that only allowed in immortals. I highly doubted that the mark on my arm had something to do with it. Upon arriving back at Apollo's palace, I would take a shower, eat dinner, then lounge about on the balcony while shoving strawberries in my mouth as fast as I could. Apollo would come home around that time. He would eat, then go straight to bed. We would often go through a whole day without speaking to each other.

After a while, I got used to him being around. Sure, it still gave me a heart attack when he would come to breakfast with his toga around his waist, but other then that, I found it slightly comforting to know that I was living with Apollo. We started to talk a lot when ever we were around each other. Apollo would tease me, try to make me blush, I would insult him, then we would converse like normal people. Sometimes I would see him around Olympus, and would watch him for a moment or two. He would soon find me staring, and would flash a brilliant smile at me. I would smirk slightly, then go on my way.

Artemis' sessions were fun, but hard. She would push me to my limit, making me try to shoot impossible targets, then demonstrate how easy it was when I failed. My archery became almost god-like in skill, allowing me to shoot anything I saw. My days on Olympus continued like this for about four months without anything interesting happening. (Unless you count seeing Apollo's bare chest.) It wasn't until the end of winter when things started to…heat up.

I woke up in the morning to the sound of someone singing quite loudly (and out of pitch) into my eardrums. I thrust out my fist, hitting my attacker in the nose. Apollo let out a very manly squeak, jumping away from my bed.

"Was that supposed to be singing?! It sounded like something begging to be put out of it's misery! I thought you were the god of music!" I snapped at him, angry for being woken up so early.

Apollo rubbed his nose. "I am, but I can still sound horrible if I want to." He flashed me a cheeky grin, and I rolled my eyes.

I jumped out of bed, thankful that I had chosen to wear a nightgown last night. "Well, off to training."

"Oh, did I forget to tell you? Artemis canceled today's session." He grinned apologetically.

I glared at him. "Then why did you wake me up at the crack of dawn?!"

"I just wanted to see your beautiful face." Apollo said calmly, and I froze for a moment, feeling the blood rush to my cheeks. "That and the fact that you were drooling all over my pillows." He added, gesturing to the slightly soggy pillowcases.

"Why you litt-"

"Hey! Let's try to remember who's the almighty god here." Apollo said in a singsong voice.

My face, at this point, was brighter then Dionysus's nose when he's drunk. "What am I supposed to do all day without any training?" I demanded.

"Oh, I can think of a few things…" Apollo said, taking a few steps towards me. I decided to ignore him. He often did this in order to embarrass me, and it usually worked.

I took a deep breath, still not looking at him, and walked to the closet. "Well, I suppose that there is no use complaining about it. I'll get through the day." I chose a light blue gown out of the selection, complete with a snow white shawl. When I turned around, I found Apollo, staring at me with a light smirk on his face.

"What?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Nothing." He said, a little too quickly. "Well, actually, I was wondering…if you….well…"

"If I what?"

"If you would like to…go to work with me." He said earnestly, his blue eyes staring into mine.

"Oh….sure. What exactly is it that you do?" I said, faltering a bit from the intense look he was giving me.

He smiled slightly. "You'll see." As he walked by me to get to the door, his shoulder brushed my arm slightly, sending chills up my spine.

Apollo P.O.V.

He had to admit, the last months had been torture for him. Apollo's plan to give her space was working though, seeing how Apphia constantly stared at him whenever she was around him. He wasn't doing much better though. Whenever he was near her, Apollo had to fight the urge to grab her and hold her close. It was part of the reason that he left his palace so early, and came back so late. It was all in order to let her sort out her obviously confused emotions.

Once they had started speaking, Apollo could not help but tease her, try to make her cheeks flush. This gave a bit of a release from the wanting he felt inside every…single….freakin…day. When he had walked into her room that morning and saw her curled up in bed, her golden curly strewn across the satin sheets like an endless beam of sunshine, Apollo had stared at her for what seemed like hours. He wanted to hold her in his arms, to kiss her soft lips, to hear the three sweet words come out of her mouth that would mean everything to him.

Apollo was overjoyed that she agreed to come to work with him, so happy, that he had decided to tease her a bit, forgetting his silent oath for a moment. As he passed her to leave the room, he had made sure that his shoulder brushed her arm. Apollo caught a glimpse of Apphia's shiver, and felt his heart (and ego) soar.

He walked into the dining hall, only to find that he was not alone. His sister sat in a chair, twirling a silver fork around her pale fingers.

"My dear sister…why have you paid me a visit?" Apollo asked, trying to sound lighthearted. He failed miserably.

"As if you don't already know, brother dear." She replied coolly, still not looking at him.

"Actually, I don't know. You see, I was expecting you a long time ago, when I had first brought her to Olympus." He walked forward and sat across from her, but she still refused to meet his eye. "But these…four months of silence have led me to believe that you have no quarrel with me on the matter."

Artemis' expression remained blank. "I neither consent nor quarrel with you Apollo, but I do not like the sight of a young woman being forced into something by a person of the male gender." She glared up at him.

Apollo flashed her a wary smile. "That is not the case here, but why have you not come to me sooner?"

"Apollo, that is exactly the case! And I have not come to you sooner because I have been studying Apphia, to see what her opinion is on the matter." Artemis stood up, her short green hunting dress fluttering as she did so.

"If you have been studying her, you would see that she returns my affections, however unwillingly it may seem. So, it only leads to reason that you have not been studying her, or that you have noticed her feelings for me and have decided that there is nothing that you can do." Apollo said, remaining in his seat.

"You are wrong in both of your theories. I plan on ridding Apphia of her false love for yo-"

Apollo stood up quickly. "There is nothing false about this situation, Artemis. It may seem that I have forced Apphia into this, but that is not the truth. We are meant for each other, and I will ask you to respect my choices no matter what your own beliefs are." He said quietly, every word filled with warning.

Just then, Apphia walked into the room.

Appia's P.O.V

As soon as Apollo left, I slapped myself. Hard. "I can NOT be falling for him, not now of all times!" I scolded myself as I stormed into my small, private bathroom. I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror, and stopped in my tracks. I carefully took a few steps backwards, then turned to stare at my reflection.

I was changed somehow. My skin was clear, light, and smooth. It was marred only by the splash of freckles that lay across my perfectly shaped nose. My lips were fuller and pinker then I had ever remembered. My eyes were a brighter green, my eyelashes were thicker, my hair was shinier and lay about my face in a perfect golden frame.

I stared at myself, my mouth wide open in shock. WHEN had this happened? WHY had this happened? WHAT had happened? Was I imagining this? Had I possibly always looked like this, and just had not noticed? My mind raced, trying to come up with some explanation as to why I looked this way. I finally settled on the most logical one: The thing sitting before me was not a mirror. It was a window.

It had to be a window. I barely recognized the woman looking back at me, so it only lay to reason that I was not looking at my own reflection, but at another person. I raised my hand, and the stranger raised their hand at the same time. I rolled my eyes, and so did the stranger. This had to be a prank by Apollo. I slowly reached out my hand, aiming to touch the strangers hand coming towards me. Right when our hands were about to touch, I heard a small "poof" from behind me.

"Have you ever seen a mirror before, darling?" A smooth voice asked. I did several things in a matter of seconds. I shrieked, grabbed the hairbrush on the counter in front of me, and whirled around to face my attacker. I pointed the hairbrush in front of me as if it were a powerful weapon. I was like, "I'm gonna brush your face, bitch!"

Only, I didn't say that, because the person standing in front of me happened to be a goddess. I had never seen Aphrodite before, but I knew it was her. Looking back on it, I can't really tell you what she looked like, only that she was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. She was wearing a light blue dress similar to the one I had draped over my arm, only hers was long, shiny, and elegant. Her feet were bare, but she made that look like a fashion statement.

The goddess of love flashed me a winning smile, showing off her perfect pearly whites. "Ah, Apphia. It's been too long!"

"Uh, have we met?" I asked, lowering the hairbrush slightly.

"Nope." She said cheerfully, stepping forward to look at herself in the mirror. "Well, not face to face, but I feel as if I know you. You see, I have been planning your destiny since the day you were born."

I didn't say anything to that, so she continued. "I know that you are probably confused about why you look like a goddess, so allow me to explain." She giggled, and I discovered that my dislike for this woman was gradually increasing.

"You see, when Apollo made you his…property, you became attached to him until the day he dies. Since he is a god, this technically makes you immortal." Again, I did not answer, so she continued to talk, all the while gazing at her reflection. "Trust me, you were already beautiful before, but once you became immortal, so did your looks. It's…hard to explain really, but basically, your inner beauty has decided to pop out on the outside."

I grimaced. "Pop out?"

"Well, yes." She turned to look at me, her eyes giving off a strange light. "And let me just say, you look beautiful."

I was about to thank her, but then Smart Apphia (who I keep in the back of my head) chimed in. You see, Aphrodite gets jealous VERY easily. No matter how hot you are, you can't compare your beauty to hers. It's an unspoken rule.

"But, I'm not as beautiful as you." I said quickly.

The glow in Aphrodite's eyes dimmed, and she smiled again. "You're sweet. Now, I'm sure we will meet again, but I believe that Apollo is waiting for you." She snapped her fingers, and the dress I was holding disappeared. I looked down, and found myself wearing the same dress. My hair was brushed out, and the white shawl was wrapped around my arms.

"Uh…"

"Don't just stand there honey! Go get your man!" She gave me a rather forceful push out of the bathroom door, and promptly disappeared in a rose smelling cloud. I stood there for a moment, processing what I had just learned.

For some reason, I wasn't really bothered by the fact that I was now immortal. I had suspected it, actually. How else could I enter Olympus on my own will? Now, there was the "beauty" situation. Let me ask you something. What girl would feel upset about looking like a goddess? Well, not THIS girl for sure. I felt confident that I could live with this, no matter how strange it was.

I began to walk out to the dining room, planning on asking Apollo about the love goddess. When I reached the doorway, I paused. Raised voices were coming from the next room, and I recognized both of them. I walked slowly into the room, trying to catch what was being said.

"…I will ask you to respect my choices no matter what your own beliefs are." I heard Apollo say in a low, dangerous tone. When I had fully walked into the room, I stopped in my tracks. Glaring at each other from across the dining table were the sun god, and moon goddess.

I guess I never truly accepted the fact that Apollo and Artemis were twins until I saw them in the same room. It was a very strange situation to…look…at. The twins had the same firm jaw, the same glowing skin, the (almost) same athletic body. Yet, Artemis was paler, and seemed to keep her true emotions hidden behind a marble mask. Apollo's emotions were bright and angry, worn plain on his face.

Artemis' skin had a pale brightness to it, while Apollo's skin had a golden tan. Apollo's eyes were a bight blue, like a cloudless day in the summer. His sister's eyes were silver and cold, much like a full moon on a freezing night. They were so alike, and yet so different, that it was hard too look at them without getting a serious migraine.

The two gods stared at me for a moment, both looking over what I was wearing.

I'm not sure why, but Artemis pursed her lips, took one last look at my dress, then gave Apollo an ice like glare. "Not forced, huh?" She turned swiftly, storming out of the room. The room felt significantly warmer after the huntress left.

There was an extremely awkward silence between Apollo and I, in which he slumped in a chair and put his face in his hands. After what seemed like hours, he spoke, not removing his face from his palms. "Don't you just love it when your family drops in for a surprise visit?" He grunted.

I laughed nervously. "Um…no…." Another long pause. I considered telling him about Aphrodite, but something told me to shut my yap. I actually really wanted to see where Apollo worked, and I figured that telling him about Ms. Cream Puff (my nickname for Aphrodite) would cause him to rethink taking me.

Apollo stood up slowly, running a hand through his golden hair. He was still avoiding my gaze, giving me the feeling that the conversation that I had interrupted had been about me.

"You look nice." He said, which I found ironic, seeing how he wasn't looking at me.

"Thanks. Hey, are we gonna' go to your work or what, Mr. Sunshine?" I smirked. Ms. Cream Puff, Mr. Sunshine, I was on a roll.

Apollo's face broke into a small smirk, and he turned a bit to look me in the eyes. "Yeah. Lets go." Only, neither of us moved. My gaze was locked with his, and I found that I didn't want to look away. His expression changed from happy, to something much deeper and stronger. It was the same look that he had worn when he kissed me. At first, I had thought that it was just lust, but now….I guess that after meeting the goddess of love, I understood what love looked like.

I suddenly had a strong impulse to leap into his arms, like one of those dopey girls you hear about in other myths. Some part of me knew I would feel warm, happy, and content in his embrace, so it was only logical that I would want to take action, right?

"Well, are you coming?" Apollo asked suddenly, interrupting my pathetic day dream.

"Wh-what? Oh, yeah. I'm coming." I stammered as he made for the front door, his once longing look now the usual smirk.

Apollo's P.O.V

If Apollo had a choice of all the days in the year for his sister to show up at his palace, today would not have been the day by far. Things were going so well with Apphia, and Artemis's visit had really shaken him. If he knew his sister, which he did, she was probably cooking up some plan in that clever head of hers, and that made Apollo nervous. When Artemis set out to do something, she usually accomplished it.

The sun god had wanted to kiss Apphia for interrupting when she did, but he had figured that neither of the girls in the room would have approved of his actions. Apollo had the same impulse again once he had met her gaze, especially when he saw his own feelings reflected in her dark green eyes. Yet, that had not been the time to act. He was sure that Apphia had not heard most of the conversation, but just in case, he would wait until they were in the garden to…make his move.

Apollo led Apphia out to the front of his palace, where a golden chariot awaited the couple. Two large palomino steeds stood at attention in front of the chariot, pawing their front hooves in anticipation.

"Is this the sun chariot?" Asked Apphia, her green eyes large in amazement.

Apollo smiled at her curiosity. "No, not this chariot. The sun chariot is…more of a figment of mortal's imaginations. The sun moves of its own accord, with barely any help from me. I control whether or not some areas of the globe receive more light then others. I don't feel the need to travel for those occasions."

Apphia tore her gaze away from the horses, staring at him in confusion. "Then, where are we going?"

"Well, I am also the music god. I attend concerts at random, looking for musicians of great talent. I judge whether or not I bestow my gift upon them."

"What is that gift?"

Apollo took her hand slowly, leading her forward to the chariot. "You'll see." As he helped her onto the platform, he could not help but notice the nerves that flashed before her eyes. "Never rode in a chariot before?" He asked, climbing on next to her.

She shook her head slightly.

"It's all right, just hold on to me."

Apphia's P.O.V

It's funny. I'm not afraid of riding a Pegasus, but I'm terrified of riding flying chariots. I'm talking pissing my chiton kind of terror. Yet, when I was holding onto Apollo, the fear melted away. I know that sounds cheesy, but I felt…great. When the horses took off, I hid my face in his muscular chest, my hands gripping his golden toga. I thought I heard a chuckle, but then the horses started to fly, and all I could concentrate on was holding onto Apollo.

Since I refused to remove my face from his toga, and since the landing was so smooth, I did not notice that we were back on the ground until Apollo tapped my head lightly. "We are here." He whispered into my ear, and I slowly lifted my head.

The golden chariot had landed in a small forest clearing, much like the ones in Olympus. The trees were dotted with large fruits, the ground littered with colorful flowers. I leapt off the platform, taking in the beauty that surrounded me. I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath.

"It's beautiful isn't it?" Apollo said, now at my side.

"Yeah…" I breathed, still not opening my eye lids.

"Yet, there are much more beautiful things in this world."

I felt myself being spun around, and I opened my eyes in surprise. Apollo was smiling warmly down at me. I hesitated, then smiled back. Maybe it was the forest, or maybe the visit by Aphrodite, but I found that I wanted to be this close to Apollo. I decided that he was right. There were much more beautiful things in the world.

"There is a festival tomorrow night." Apollo spoke, his voice husky.

"What about it?" I asked, perfectly comfortable in his arms.

"Well, would you like to attend it with me?"

I smiled at his request. "Of course, my lord."

He raised his eyebrows, smirking. "Ooh, I like that."

I returned his smile, then slowly detangled myself from his arms. I could sense that a kiss was not far off, and I wasn't sure how I felt about that. I decided to be a wimp and not accept it. "Come on ass hole. We have a concert to go to."

Apollo's P.O.V

Apollo sighed as he watched the harp player on stage. The man had talent, and would surely win, but his mind was not on the music at the moment. He could not stop thinking about Apphia, and how they had come so close to…to what exactly? The sun god was not sure.

The couple were sitting in the place of honor, which meant that they sat in a small raised viewing suite raised high above the rest of the audience. The concert was in another forest clearing, a large marble stage sat in front of thousands of nymphs and satyrs, all sitting on plush cushions. The chairs that Apollo and Apphia sat upon were highly decorated and plush, much like the suite surrounding them.

And still, Apollo could only think about how Apphia had pulled away from him.

They sat so close now, hands mere millimeters apart as they rested on the arms of the chairs. Apollo kept his hand still, not wanting to accidentally brush Apphia's. She seemed to be enjoying the concert, obviously lost in the music.

Halfway through the song, Apphia's hand shifted, brushing his wrist slightly. Apollo jumped a bit, and glanced at her. She showed no sign of realization of what she just did.

Apollo was willing to brush it off as a mistake, until it happened again. This time, Apphia kept her fingertips on his wrist, barely touching, but still there. The concert was much more enjoyable after that.

Artemis's P.O.V

The cave was dark. So dark, that Artemis could not see anything but the inky expanse of the cave walls, and that was only because she was a goddess. She stepped forward on light feet, her face set with determination. Many persons, mortal and heavenly, would rather die then step foot in this cave. Artemis felt no fear though, only anger.

"So, you have found my sanctuary." A raspy voice spoke, and two large green orbs glowed some distance away.

"I have, and I'm sure that you know the reason, Nemesis." Artemis spoke, not taking another step forward.

The goddess of revenge wheezed in laughter, her green eyes narrowing a bit. "It is because of Apphia, yes? And that goddess of love that you so despise." Nemesis slurred, mocking the goddess. "And, lets not forget that hunter. Ah, yes, you want revenge."

"As soon as possible."

"I require payment for my…services."

"I will pay any amount."

"I do not desire money."

Artemis glared at the eyes, unsure of what to say.

"You see, revenge is balance, and if you desire it, you must pay the price. Not in physical things. I believe you once said that mental pain is much, much worse then physical pain." Nemesis rasped, her eyes shining with amusement.

The huntress took a deep breath, preparing herself. "I shall bear what I must."

"I'm sure you will…" Nemesis laughed once more, her eyes glowing brighter and brighter until their green glow filled the cave. Her laughter rang on as she worked her magic, and as Artemis fled from her presence.

Apphia's P.O.V

I know what you are thinking. Did you really mean to touch Apollo?

Yes, you nosy bitch, I did.

Surprising, right? Well, my emotions were riding high at the time. I could not stop thinking about how I had pulled away from him, and for some reason, I felt immensely guilty. Even though we sat so close, I felt as though we were so far apart. I had grown used to being near Apollo, that I just wanted closeness again.

So yes, I basically held his hand throughout the entire concert.

It was getting late, so I barely watched Apollo award the young man with the golden laurel. (The wimp was so happy, he basically cried.) The ride back to Olympus was short, but I think that was because I slept through half of it. Apollo's chest was so warm, and I was so tired…

"Apphia, we're back." He whispered into my ear.

I straightened up, yawning. "Well, that was fun."

"I agree."

I looked up at him, realizing that he was not talking about the harp player. There was that urge again. His lips looked so soft and inviting…

"Yeah…." I whispered. Apollo started to lean in, and I started to raise my head. Right before our lips could touch, he stopped slightly. I could feel his breath mingling with my own. I closed my eyes, savoring the moment. I don't know what Apollo was playing at, but we stayed in that position for a long time.

I was surprised when he pulled away, remembering how I usually did that. He avoided my gaze, but took my hand and led me into his palace. We both parted ways as soon as we were inside, him to his room, and me to my room.

I slept in late the next morning, skipping breakfast. That's saying a lot, seeing how I love to shove food down my throat. I had sorta planned on staying in bed until it was time to get ready for the party, but my plans were ruined when somebody ripped my curtains open.

"What the-" I slowly lifted my head to see a young woman staring down at me, her hands on her hips.

"Morning, dork."

I gasped. "Lilly? Is that you?"

The woman rolled her eyes. "Of course it's me, you big idiot." She flashed me a dazzling smile. Lilly used to be my best friend, until her family disappeared last winter. I thought I would never see her again, but here she was.

Her bright red hair was pulled up and away from her beautiful face, her freckles sprinkled perfectly on her button nose. Her eyes were a deep green, and always seemed to carry a special sparkle. Lilly had a petite little figure, making her look like an innocent child. She was far from innocent.

I leaped out of bed and attacked her with a giant hug.

"Woah there! I'm-urp-glad to see you too!" She choked out, and I backed up a bit, slapping her on the arm.

"Where have you been, Lilly?! I was worried sick when you left!"

She grinned sheepishly. "Actually, my real name is Persephone."

I froze. Persephone? My best friend was THE Persephone? I fell back onto my bed, and began to add up the facts I knew about her.

Fact 1: Persephone was the goddess of springtime. Lilly loved the spring.

Fact 2: Persephone had a very protective mother. Lilly never strayed far from home, although I never met her mom.

Fact 3: Persephone went down to the Underworld during the cold months. I had only known Lilly during the summer and spring of one year, but she disappeared once winter began.

It was only three facts, but they added up. It was a wonder how I had not noticed before.

"All this time…why didn't you tell me?"

Lilly… I mean Persephone, huffed. "Zeus forbid me. He said that you must never know."

"And…you left during the winter because-"

"Because my husband needed me at his side, yes."

My eyes glazed over for a moment. My best friend was married to the lord of the Underworld. "Wow." I whispered.

She smirked. "He's great in bed too." Persephone laughed out loud as I let out a small squeak. "Come on, let's get you all dolled up."

A/N: Ok, so I figured that it was around time that Apphia had a sassy best friend. That always adds more flavor to a story. Sorry about how she just seemed to pop into the story with no previous mention, but I had not planned on having her in as Apphia's best friend. Now, why Persephone? Well, as you have probably noticed, her story and Apphia's is VERY similar. Oh, and I have always loved that myth. Remember the mention of that myth at the festival? Yup, I love that story.

More Ares in the next chapter, I pinkie swear. Bye bye bitches!


	9. Revenge is annoying

A/N: Let me just say this to you guys…You are all so sweet. I usually don't get all sappy and shit, but I love you all. My first few chapters were crap, but you guys supported me and my idea. My last few chapters are still crap, but for some reason, you guys love the story. (Most likely for the smut, lol) Thank you so much. (Kisses screen.)

God, I am such a loser.

Apphia's P.O.V

I had a lot of questions to ask Lilly, as you could imagine. She was a good friend, and answered them all.

"Well, during the spring and summer, I usually stay with Demeter on Olympus." She began, walking to my closet. I noticed how she referred to her mother by her name, as if not wanting to admit they were related.

Lilly pulled out a pink dress, examined it, and then threw it over her shoulder. "But, this time, Zeus didn't want that. He wanted me to live in your kingdom during the warm months so that I would befriend you." She shrugged, pulling out another dress. "I don't know why, but that's the way he wanted it. Demeter obeyed of course. She has a…soft spot, when it comes to Zeus." She ended bitterly.

I raised an eyebrow. "I see…by the way, how did you know I was here?"

Lilly laughed, tossing the second dress. "Apphia, everyone on Olympus knows that you're here! It's the hottest gossip topic since Perseus gave Medusa a 'hair cut'!"

I felt my face grow warm with embarrassment. "Uh, really?"

She nodded, folding her arms across her chest. "Yup. They all can't wait to meet you at the party."

"When you say 'they all', do you mean-"

"The gods? I sure do."

My eyebrows shot upwards. "What? But, why would they be interested in me?"

Lilly shrugged, going back to the closet. "Beats me. You're about as interesting as a bunch of centaur crap." She said, chuckling at her own joke.

I scowled. "Shut up. How did you get in my room anyway?"

"The door, crap face."

"No! I mean how did you get in the palace!…And don't say the front door!"

"Apollo let me in."

I raised an eyebrow. "Wait, you know Apollo?"

"Oh yeah. We go way back."

A weird feeling began to boil in the pit of my stomach, proceeding to spread throughout my body. I found that I didn't like the idea of Lilly being on friendly terms with Apollo. The spring goddess was very beautiful, and it was easy to see why Hades fell for her. If the god of the Underworld liked my friend, did that mean that Apollo did too? How long had they known each other?

I opened my mouth to ask something, but then closed it once more. Why should I care? So what if Apollo and my best friend liked each other? It didn't matter to me in the slightest.

Lilly, noticing my silence, smirked at me from over her shoulder. "Don't worry. We were never romantically involved."

The feeling in my stomach disappeared, but I rolled my eyes. "Oh please. Tell it to someone who cares."

"Like you?"

I scoffed. "I don't give a dam about that big headed smart ass!" I was lying through my teeth, and Lilly knew it as well as I did.

"Apphia, give it a rest. Apollo isn't here right now, so there is no need for this little…Perfect!" She yelped, causing me to jump off the bed.

"What? What is it?"

Lilly smiled, turning around to face me. In her hands, she clutched a long, elegant dress. "You should totally wear this to the festival!"

I bit my lip, looking over the dress that she held. "I don't know…it seems a bit too bold for me."

It was now her turn to roll her eyes. "Just shut your trap for a moment and listen to me. You are no longer the shy little girl practicing archery in the forest. You are Apphia Grace, the beautiful, fiery love of Apollo's life. It's time for you to make an impression, and a good one at that. This dress is gonna help you. Trust me."

I grinned slightly. "And this is coming from the girl who refuses to wear a chiton that is above the knees?"

"Well, this dress isn't that short, so it should be fine." She retorted, shoving the fabric at me. "Now get changed, blondie."

About five minutes later, I walked out of the bathroom. The dress Lilly had given me was long and elegant, flowing out behind me in a bridal train. The fabric was soft and silky, and it was the exact shade of green as my eyes. The top was held up by golden bands that wrapped around my chest and waist, adding a bit of youth to the woman-like gown. It was beautiful.

"I look ridiculous." I announced, looking at myself in the mirror

Lilly turned and looked me over. "Oh please, bitch. You look amazing. Apollo is gonna have a hard time keeping his hands to himself."

"This is not about impress-"

"Oh, but it is!" The spring goddess bent over and grabbed a pair of golden sandals. "Tonight is the night that you show that sun god that you are no longer just a forbidden maiden, but a sought after, powerful, sexy woman."

I bit my lip, looking down at the dress. Secretly, I was hoping Apollo would think of me like that, but I wasn't sure if he would care. He had not said anything about my transformation, making me feel as though it didn't happen. If he had not noticed the fact that I looked like a goddess, then how would he notice what I was wearing?

My thoughts were interrupted as the golden sandals rammed into the side of my head. "Ow!"

"Sorry." Lilly said, not sounding sorry at all. "Your eyes were glazing over. Now, come over here so I can do something about that bush of hair."

I bit back a retort, and walked over. After a few minutes of painful brushing, she pulled my hair back with some more golden bands. It was as if she could pull the perfect outfit out of midair. Then again, she was a goddess. A sudden thought came to me.

"Hey, Lilly?" I asked softly.

She sighed, brushing back a few strands of loose hair. "I told you Apphia, my name isn't Lilly. That was just my mortal mask."

I smiled a bit. "You'll always be Lilly to me. But, anyways, I have a question for you."

"Spill." She said, not really listening. She was looking through the jewelry drawer, probably slipping some necklaces into her dress.

"Well, when I was first captured by Apollo, I hated him. I mean, I wanted to feed his dick to a hydra. But now…"

"You would rather keep his dick for yourself?" Lilly asked, and I could hear the laughter in her voice.

My face grew hot, for about the hundredth time that morning. "No! I don't…you just…you don't understand. You fell in love with Hades almost as soon as he brought you down to the Underworld!"

Lilly froze, her back rigid. I considered taking back what I said, because it had obviously cut deep. When she spoke, she didn't turn around to face me. "No, I didn't. In fact, I hated him. I cried for days on end while I was there, and refused to talk to him. I was…horrible to him and his subjects. I yelled at everyone that came near me, and constantly tried to find a way to escape. Then, after a while, I gave up."

I stared at my friend. Her voice was bitter, yet she kept talking. I got the feeling that I was the first person to ever hear Persephone's side of the myth.

"I stopped yelling at him all the time, and allowed him to speak to me. I discovered many things about Hades just by talking to him." She turned towards me, her eyes staring at a spot just above my left shoulder. "He's not as heartless as everyone thinks he is, you know. He's really…kind. I still didn't forgive him, but we began to talk a lot, as friends." She blushed, looking down at her feet. I could see the embarrassed young maiden that Lilly tried so hard to hide under her sassy attitude and tough talk.

"So, when did you…"

"When did I fall for him?" She shrugged, still looking at her feet. "I'm not sure really, but I think it was around the time I accidentally ate the Pomegranate."

My eyes widened. The Pomegranate? As in THE Pomegranate? "Wait, what? What do you mean by that?" I demanded. It just did not make sense. The tale went that Persephone was tricked into eating the seeds, and then was doomed to spend the cold months underground with the Lord of the Dead. How could she had fallen in love with him at that horrific moment?

Lilly giggled and looked up at me, her face slightly pink. "Well, I've never told anyone this, but I didn't exactly eat the cursed fruit on accident."

My jaw hit the floor.

"I think I was fully aware of what I was doing at the time."

"You think?!"

"Look, the point is that I fell in love with my captor, and it's extremely obvious that you have done the same!"

I didn't answer.

"So tonight," She continued, "You're gonna make Apollo drool."

I took a deep breath, feeling a mixture of excitement, and pure terror. I had no idea what a Olympian party would be like, and my last party experience had not been a good one. (For those of you who need a reminder, I got drunk, raped, and kidnapped by a god.) Plus, I had a strange feeling of warning, as if something bad would happen if I went to this party. Then again, I wanted to have the chance to show Apollo who I was, and tell him what he meant to me. In the end, there was only one answer. I was going to that party.

Looking back, I kinda' wish I didn't.

I felt so strange as I waited for Apollo to come home. Lilly had left a long time ago, saying something about making Hades come, so now I was left to my own thoughts. My friend was right, I had come a long way from those days of practicing archery in the forest. I had, in my own way, grown up.

I slowly pushed a stray piece of hair behind my ear, and then foolishly thought of how I used to play with my curls when I was a little girl. I leaned against the railing of Apollo's balcony, my arms folded in front of me. The light of the setting sun was slowly dimming, while the lanterns of Olympus seemed to glow brighter. I sighed, thinking for the first time of how lucky I was to be here. I was not the only mortal to ever set foot on Olympus, but it still was an amazing experience from the beginning, if you dismiss the whole kidnapping thing of course.

I never seemed to truly enjoy myself up until a few months ago, when me and Apollo started talking again. I was always griping and complaining, pitying myself in every way possible. I kept telling myself that Apollo was the stupid one, but in the end, I turned out to be the real dummy.

"You look beautiful."

I jumped slightly. I had not noticed Apollo walk up next to me, which is saying something. I mean, how can you not notice a guy who looks like THAT, walk next to you? I must be crazy as well as dumb.

"Thanks." I answered, turning so my back was leaning against the railing. "You look great too." He was wearing another white toga, this one with a golden clasp at his shoulder. It was simple, and it suited him. Apollo was good looking enough to wear something like that.

He was staring at me, and I had the feeling that he had not registered what I said to him. We stood in silence for a while, which I finally broke. (For a change) "So, are we going to go? I mean, I'm fine with just standing here, if that's what you want to do…"

"Oh, right." Apollo said, blushing a bit. He reached out his hand and clasped mine. We stood like that for a moment, our eyes and hands locked together. Then he pulled me towards him slowly. I shut my eyes and leaned my head against his chest as we transported to the Olympian pavilion.

When I heard the music, I opened my eyes. There were people everywhere, dancing, eating, chatting. It seemed as if the entire population of Olympus had come to the party. I craned my neck over the crowd in order to try and spot some gods, and I wasn't disappointed.

Artemis was standing in the far right corner of the pavilion, chatting with some of her hunters. She was wearing a simple silver gown, and she kept looking around nervously. A tall woman stood nearby. She had long dark hair that fell in ringlets down the back of her dark green gown. As she turned towards me, I realized that the woman must be Athena. No other god could have such intelligent looking gray eyes.

On the other side of the pavilion, two men were doubled over in laughter. They both had dark curly hair, and a amused gleam in their eyes. The taller one had tan skin and large brown eyes, a winged cap tilted slightly on his head. He had to be Hermes. The shorter man was muscular and pale, with dark violet eyes. His nose and cheeks were bright red, and he held a goblet of wine in his hand. Dionysus, of course.

My gaze shifted to the back of the party, where three gods talked in hushed tones. Zeus was handsome and strong looking in his dark blue toga. The lord of the sky's black beard was just starting to gray a bit. The man he was talking to was dressed in a large black cloak. He radiated almost as much power as Zeus, but there was definitely something fearful about him. His black hair was long and sleek, his skin almost a deathly white. It seemed that Lilly had persuaded her husband to come to the party.

A tall woman stood next to Zeus, and it was immediately obvious who she was. Her raven hair was pulled back in a tight bun, her cream colored skin seemed to be both warm and cold at the same time. Hera was dressed in a flowing gown of green, blue, and purple, giving the impression of a peacock feather. Her dark eyes roamed the crowd, until they came to rest on me. I quickly looked away, not wanting to draw attention to myself.

Aphrodite was easy to spot, but it was hard to see what she looked like. She was surrounded by men. I rolled my eyes a bit, then looked for her husband. Hephaestus was watching his wife from afar, his scarred face expressionless. I cocked my head a bit. From what I had heard, Hephaestus was supposed to be ugly. Yet, he actually seemed to be rather handsome. His skin was a bronze color, and he had plenty of muscles to go around. He had a large black beard the covered most of his face, making him hard to read. The god of fire was dressed in a simple brown toga, but I got the feeling that was the fanciest outfit he owned.

"Demeter won't be here tonight." Apollo said, interrupting my thoughts yet again.

I realized I was still holding his hand, but decided not to let go. "What makes you say that?"

"Hades."

"Oh. Right." Of course. Demeter would not want to be around the man that had stolen her daughter away from her.

"It looks like Hestia is gone too."

"Hestia? I forgot about her."

"Most people do." Apollo said, smirking a bit. "But, she prefers it that way. She's really nice, you'd like her."

"I'll meet her another time. But, where's…" I looked around again.

"Where's who?"

I almost answered him, but thought better of it and lied. "Poseidon."

Apollo lifted the hand that wasn't holding mine, and pointed at a table near the food. At first, I thought he was pointing at Lilly because she was sitting at the same table. My friend was wearing a plain pink dress. (Below her knees, of course.) The man she was talking to was good looking, but obviously distressed. Poseidon had surprisingly pale skin, and a large black beard like Hephaestus. He was wearing a deep blue toga that looked as if it were meant for work, and not a party like this. His sea green eyes were downcast and gloomy, much like the ocean on a cloudy day.

"Why does he look so..,"

"Sad?" Apollo guessed. "It's his wife, Amphitrite. She left him for another man a few weeks ago. The poor guy still hasn't gotten over her." He sighed slightly. "He used to be the life of the party."

I stared at the sea god for a moment longer. It was clear that he did not want to be here, but he was one of the original gods. My only guess was that Zeus had forced him to come against his own will, which was incredibly sad. The man should have his peace in a time like this.

"Come on. The music is starting." Apollo started to pull me onto the dance floor, but I held back.

"No, wait. I don't know how-"

"Then I'll teach you." He interrupted me with a smile, and pulled me close. He put one hand on my waist, and clutched the other in mine. The god started to move to the music slowly, allowing me to get the hang of his movements. Pretty soon, I was doing pretty well. I guess it helps when the god of music is your dance partner.

I could feel the eyes of everyone in the pavilion on us, and it made me a bit self conscious. "Why are they all staring?" I whispered

Apollo smiled. "Why do you think?"

I thought for a moment. "There are jealous of me. I'm dancing with the sun god."

He chuckled a bit. "No, they are jealous of me. I'm dancing with the prettiest girl on Olympus." He twirled me around, and I laughed a bit at his words, the stares now forgotten.

When the music ended, there was a small smatter of applause. I suppose it must have been for us, seeing how we were the only ones dancing. Apollo led me off the floor, and out of the pavilion. We walked in comfortable silence in a courtyard for a minute, before he spoke.

"Apphia, I have been meaning to talk to you about something." He sounded…strange. His voice was controlled, but strained in a way. Apollo did not want to say what he had probably promised himself he would.

This obvious fact made me, of course, curious. "Is there something wrong, my lord?"

I used the term that I thought would make him smile, but it just seemed to aggravate him more. "No…yes…I don't know…" Apollo groaned, letting go of my hand and turning away from me.

I remained frozen, staring at him. What had I done? Surely, it had to be something that I did to make him like this. "Apollo?" I asked, timidly.

Apollo's P.O.V

He did not want to say this. Oh, he did not want to say this at all. Apollo kept mentally slapping himself, wanting his mouth to close and never speak again. Yet, he could not take this anymore. The god wished that he had never saw Apphia that day, then he would have never caused the girl so much pain. He had ripped her from the only life she knew, then brought her to Olympus. He had made her his property by force, taking from her all that she held dear.

She had a right to not speak to him for that time she was silent. In fact, Apphia had a right to never speak to him again. Apollo had no clue why she had started conversing with him in the first place. He had thought that she was beginning to love him, and maybe she was. However, the fact still remained that it was by force, like his sister had said.

Dancing with Apphia, seeing Apphia in the dress, it had been like a dream. But, he had promised himself that he must say this, and all dreams had to come to an end at some point.

He refused to look at her face as he spoke, terrified of what she may say. "Apphia, I love you more then anything in the world, and I think that you must know that by now. Yet, my feelings hold no excuse for why I took you from your home. You are not happy here. I should have let you be." He paused, waiting for a sign of agreement. When none came, he continued.

"You are trapped here, not allowed to leave because you are my property. But, not any more. I will lift the curse I placed upon you and send you home if you wish. You are free."

Apollo waited once more, but he heard nothing from behind him. The silence was torture, pure torture. She was surely overjoyed with his announcement, but why was she so quiet? Finally, when he could stand it no longer, the sun god turned to look upon his love's face.

Gods, she was beautiful. Her wild locks were pulled up in an elegant style, with a few stray pieces framing her angelic face. The moonlight seemed to enhance her beauty, making her eyes glow. Of course she had been gorgeous before the transformation, so he had barely noticed it. But now, when he was telling her that she was free, her looks seemed to hit him in his chest. Hard.

Apphia seemed shocked, or maybe that's how he wanted her to look. Her green eyes searched his face, as if looking for something. "Are you serious?" She spoke at last, her voice barely audible.

Apollo nodded, his heart sinking. "I have never been more serious in my life."

She paused again, addressing her feet when she spoke once more. "If you had given me this choice earlier, I would have said yes."

Apollo raised his eyebrows. Did that mean…

"I'm sorry, but you are not going to get rid of me that easily."

"Wait, what?"

"You heard me."

His face burst into a grin, his heart soaring into the sky. Apphia wanted to stay with him! Apollo, his ego now at it's full capacity, leaned down and tilted her chin upward with his hand. "You're sure?"

She smiled at him. "I have never been more sure in my life."

That was all he needed to hear. His lips crashed down upon hers, his heart pumping when she responded just as eagerly. Apollo gently pushed Apphia against one of the many trees in the courtyard, thankful that they were well covered by the low hanging branches. Their bodies pressed up against each other, and he could feel every curve of Apphia as they kissed. He ran his right hand along her jaw, and her hand flew up to meet his. Her other hand was entangled in his hair, gripping it as if searching for support. His left hand ran up her side slowly, and Apollo smirked at her shudder.

This time, when his tongue pressed against her lips, she allowed him entry at once. He roughly explored every inch of her mouth, and they both groaned simultaneously. Apollo chuckled at this, then proceeded to grab Apphia at her hips and lift her off the ground. Her legs automatically straddled his waist, and she groaned once more into his mouth as his hand traced above the area between her legs. Apollo was extremely hard at this point, and he could tell Apphia was getting wet. Suddenly, he no longer cared about how soon this was or where they were and what would happen. He wanted to be inside her. Now.

Apphia's P.O.V.

I wanted him inside me. Immediately.

Oh shut up, don't judge me. You can not believe how much sexual tension had built up between me and Apollo, and I wanted to release it at once. Gods he was making me feel fucking amazing. I no longer cared about how far we went. In fact, I wanted to go all the way.

Oh boy, how I had changed.

Apollo's hand was just starting to slip under my dress, when someone belched extremely loudly nearby.

"Holy shit Dionysus! That one smells like Ares' arm pits!"

"Oh shut your …hiccup…pie hole, Hermes. It smells more like his ass."

Apollo quickly dropped me to the ground as the two gods bellowed in laughter. They were coming closer, so we hardly had time to compose ourselves as they crashed though the trees.

Hermes saw us first, and his mischievous face broke into a wide grin. "Well now. What do we have here, hmm?"

Dionysus entered next, his once white toga now stained with wine. As soon as he heard Hermes, he spun around in circles franticly. "If it's those stupid herpes again, I'm gonna…"

Hermes sighed, still smirking at me and Apollo. "They're called harpies buddy, not herpes."

The god of wine stopped spinning, and blinked slowly. "Fuck that shit…" He muttered, took a swig of his wine, then threw the empty glass on the ground.

"We were just walking." I said stupidly, trying to avoid this awkward situation.

Hermes glanced at our ruffled cloths and flushed faces. "Yeah. Sure."

Apollo cleared his throat loudly. "Uh, Hermes, Dionysus, this is Apphia."

The messenger god bowed his head towards me.

Dionysus farted.

"Whoopsie. I think I killed a couple of mortals with that one." He slurred.

"And a few gods." Apollo groaned, pinching his nose.

I laughed along with Hermes. "Is he always this charming?"

"Nah. You should see him during the winter festival. He climbs up on a table, pulls down his toga, and-"

"Hermes, you bitch, don't give away all my secrets!" Dionysus said in an extremely audible whisper.

"So, these are your friends?" I asked Apollo, who cringed and nodded.

Hermes guffawed. "Oh, don't be so embarrassed, man! You know you love us!"

"Yeah, you guys seem pretty cool." I said, trying my hardest not to burst out in laughter.

Dionysus grinned and leaned on Apollo's shoulder. "You hear that? Your…hiccup…girlfriend called me cool."

"I'm sorry, but you're not drunk enough to hit on my girlfriend."

"I'm not drunk enough YET." He lifted his hand to drink, then realized that there was no glass to drink from. Turning to Hermes, Dionysus scowled. "What did you do to my wine?!"

Smirking, Hermes pointed at the shattered remains of the glass that the wine god had smashed only seconds ago.

"Hermes, you just wait until I'm sober, then-"

"-You'll be in too much pain to do anything."

Dionysus froze, obviously trying to come up with a comeback. "Oh, shut your fuck hole." He tried to wink at me, but it looked like an extreme eye twitch. "See you later App…Apph…whatever the hell your name is." With those wondrous words of parting, Dionysus stumbled off into the night, muttering something about tulips.

I laughed loudly, unable to hold it in any longer. Apollo frowned at me. "You really shouldn't make fun of the gods."

Hermes, who was scratching his nose, chuckled. "Well, that makes you a filthy hypocrite then." He smiled at me. "Nice to meet you Apphia. I'm sure we will see a lot of each other. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go find Dionysus before he pisses in a fountain or something." The messenger god saluted us, then took off into the sky. As he soared away, I could just make out the tiny flapping wings on his golden sandals.

"I better go too. It's almost time for the council." Apollo said softly, staring into my eyes.

I slowly nodded. "You go on ahead. I'll wait for you here."

He smiled slightly, lifting a hand to rest it on my cheek. I leaned my head against his palm, closing my eyes and enjoying it's warmth.

"When I get back, perhaps we can-"

"-Finish where we left off? I suppose we could." I interrupted, knowing he was smirking. I opened my eyes as he gave me one last lingering kiss, then disappeared in rush of heat.

I wish I had gone with him. Actually, I'm not sure why I stayed. I suppose that I wanted to think about my previous decision and (Ahem) actions, but I never had a chance to. For, as soon as Apollo left, I heard a strange sound coming from deeper within the courtyard. I listened to the noise for a bit before realizing that it was whimpering.

I walked forward slowly, not wanting to leave the spot where I was supposed to stay. The whimpering became more insistent, and it was obvious that an animal was injured somewhere in the courtyard. Knowing that I couldn't listen to it's suffering without doing anything, I hurried off towards the sound. Besides, Apollo would not be back for awhile.

Soon, I arrived at the edge of a small cobblestone circle, only about ten feet in diameter. It seemed to be placed here as some sort of shrine, but my attention was focused on what was in center of the circle. A large boar lay whimpering in pain, blood steadily pouring out of a wound in it's leg. It was an ugly creature. Wouldn't win any beauty contests. It's hair was dark and matted, and lay plastered against it's slightly pink skin. His (it was male) tusks were small, but deadly sharp.

I had heard stories about wild boars, stories that would stop any intelligent person from coming any nearer than I already was. But, as you very well know by now, I am not an intelligent person. So, I hurried forward. I kneeled down next to the pig and looked around for something to soak up the blood. I was just starting to rip some cloth out of my dress (Gasp!) when I heard a quiet *pop*. When I looked back at the pig, it was gone. In it's place stood two hairy feet. I slowly raised my eyes, already knowing who it was.

"Got you." Sneered Ares, right before he lunged at me.

Apollo's P.O.V

Apollo absolutely hated his friends. They had ruined a completely perfect moment between him and Apphia, and the worst part was, Hermes clearly knew what they had done. The messenger god kept winking at him from across the council table, and it took all of Apollo's willpower to not wipe the smirk off his friend's face with a flaming arrow.

Almost all the gods sat at the table, with Zeus seated at the head. The king of Olympus was currently trying to gain everyone's attention, but failing miserably. Hephaestus was fiddling with a small metal object in his hands, no doubt some new invention. Aphrodite, seated next to her husband, kept looking around, searching for someone. Funny, Artemis seemed to be copying her movements.

Hades was in a deep conversation with Poseidon about trouble brewing in the mortal world. Persephone sat next to Athena, and continued to drum her fingers against the table in boredom. Athena's gray eyes scanned the collection of gods, probably analyzing their feelings. Hera sat next to Zeus, her features as unreadable as ever. Across from Apollo, Dionysus was singing (loudly) about a rich man from Sparta, much to the amusement of Hermes. (Who knew he had to get his licks in while Dionysus was drunk.)

Apollo sighed. Things never seemed to change.

Zeus cleared his throat once more. "Attention, my fellow gods!"

"-AND HE BOUGHT ALL THE HORSES IN ATHENS, YES HE BOUGHT ALL THE HORSES-hiccup-FOR SALE!" Dionysus bellowed.

"My family, we have gathered he-"

"-AND TOOK THEM HOME TO HIS….TO HIS…..BLAH BLAH BLAH….MALE!"

"Please, pay atte-"

"AND THEN HE FARTED, OR SOMETHING, AND-"

"DIONYSUS! IF I HEAR ONE MORE PEEP OUT OF YOU, I WILL CHOP OFF ALL YOUR LIMBS AND FEED THEM TO A HYDRA!" Zeus thundered, and the crowd grew quiet. (Dionysus fell off his chair, to no one's notice.) Taking a deep breath to compose himself, the lord of the sky continued. "Thank you. Now, as I am sure you all know, there have been several problems in the mortal world."

"Like the lack of horses in Athens." Persephone muttered, causing Hermes to crack up.

Zeus' nostrils flared. "No, involving a woman named Helen…"

After that, the meeting continued as usual. Dionysus stayed on the floor, obviously passed out, and Apollo quietly watched Hermes' attempts to try to revive him.

His thoughts were interrupted when someone spoke up. "Father, I can not help but notice Ares' absence at the table. He, being the war god, has no excuse to not be here." Athena said, and Apollo immediately noticed that she was right. Ares was gone.

Zeus sighed in exasperation. It was well known that Ares was not his favorite son. "I suppose we will have to send out a search party."

"I'll go." Artemis spoke up, and everyone turned to her in surprise. It was a known fact that the huntress hated Ares. Zeus, who would never say no to his baby girl, gave her a short nod. As she stood, Apollo noticed his sister glance quickly at Aphrodite. Now he knew something was up.

"I'll go with her." He offered, which was no surprise to anyone. The twins often did things together. Without waited for an answer from their father, the brother and sister strode out of the pavilion.

"All right, what was that all about?" Apollo demanded as soon as they were out of earshot.

Artemis refused to look him in the eye, or speak.

"Is it a secret then?" He said, getting a bit upset. "I noticed that look at Aphrodite. If something is up with Ares, she ought to know."

"She will." Was all his sister had to say.

For some reason, Artemis seemed to know exactly where Ares would be. She was headed behind the pavilion, in the direction of the courtyard. With a jolt of shock, Apollo remembered that Apphia was still in the courtyard waiting for him. Yet, as they neared to spot where he had left her, Apollo realized that she was no longer there. Panic began to fill his veins. Where was she? Artemis continued to lead the way, and it wasn't until much later that he heard the screams.

Apphia's P.O.V

I instinctively rolled out of the way and clambered to my feet. Adrenaline and fear pumped through my veins as I began to run away. I didn't get far.

Almost as soon as I reached the edge of the shrine, Ares grabbed my shoulders from behind and roughly spun me to face him. "Oh no. You're not getting away from me this time." He swiftly pushed me down on the ground before I had time to react. I landed on my behind (again) and re-bruised my old injury. I winced in pain, my eyes tearing up. Before I could get away, ropes exploded out of the ground and tied my wrists down. Tight. I screamed loudly, kicking my legs in the air. I looked around franticly, but no one was coming.

Ares smiled down at me, licking his lips. I shuddered, and screamed again.

"No one can hear you. They are down at the meeting."

I spat in his face.

He scowled, wiping off the spit. As he leaned down I tried to kick him, but he grabbed my leg with a tight grip. He did the same with my other one, and slowly spread them apart. I gasped in pain as more ropes burst out of the ground and held tight around my ankles. Ares, chuckling, snaked his hands underneath my dress and felt around my thighs. I screamed insults at him, crying until my voice was hoarse, but he ignored me.

"Oh, I'm going to tease you, make you wet with want of me. I'll finger and lick until you are begging for me inside you, and I'll oblige. I'll pound in and out with no stop until I'm done-"

"No! Please, I beg you, stop!"

Ares was ripping my dress, slowly tearing it off of me. When he finally whipped it off my body, I cringed and looked away from him. I stupidly thought of how Lilly was going to kill me for ruining the dress. His hands were soon all over me, groping, pinching, touching. I felt so disgusted and dirty, as if my body was loosing it's pureness.

"I'll fill you up until you scream, until you yell out my name."

"No…"

"Oh, yes. You'll be my new play thing. With your pretty face, I may keep you for longer then the others." He grabbed my breast and I winced in pain and shame. He swirled my breast around in circles, bouncing it a bit in his palm. Tears began to fall down my cheeks as Ares discarded his toga and grabbed his massive penis with his other hand.

However, I'm not the kind of person to give up. I screamed Apollo's name as loud as I could, begging him to come help me. "Apollo! Please, help! I'm in danger!"

Ares ignored my screams, and began to position himself at my entrance.

"APOLLO! HELP! YOUR FUCKING GIRLFRIEND IS ABOUT TO GET RAPED!"

Ares laughed cruelly, grabbing hold of my hips. "Get ready for the best sex of your life."

Several things happened at once. The sun mark on my left arm began to burn as Ares attempted to thrust forward, and a bright beam of sunshine pushed him away from me before he could enter my womanhood. I gasped in surprise, and relief. I craned my neck to peek at Ares, finding him sprawled on the ground, unmoving.

Just then, Apollo burst into the clearing. His eyes were ablaze with fear and rage, his hands closed in tight fists. The burning sensation in my arm stopped immediately. I took the sun god about 2 seconds to analyze the situation. Apollo rushed over to my side, lifting the ropes off my body with a swipe of his hand. I collapsed into his arms with a sob, suddenly exhausted.

I didn't care that I was naked, or that I probably looked pathetic and weak as I cried. I just wanted to be in his arms and never leave. He was whispering comforting words in my ear, but I couldn't concentrate on what he was saying. I hardly noticed the towel Apollo wrapped around me, or the fact that he had picked me up and now cradled me in his arms like a small child. It took all my strength to stay awake and hold onto him.

I could hear Ares getting up, and Apollo shouted something at him. It might have been a curse because I heard a loud grunt coming from the war god. I was soon aware of more people arriving, and I peeked at them in-between sobs. The Olympian gods stood in a circle around the small scene. They were talking, but I could only make out a few voices.

Lilly was screaming at Ares, who was now chained to the ground. Hades was holding her back, but struggling. Her face was red and wild with rage. Zeus was angry as well. His voice boomed above the other's, demanding to know why his son had done this. Ares was spluttering like the dumb ass he was, but it was clear what he had done. Hermes and Dionysus threw their wine glasses at his head, and I suddenly felt a large rush of affection for the two of them.

"How could you?!" Aphrodite was crying. "How could you betray me like that?!"

Ares was silent.

Aphrodite's cries seemed to be louder then mine. She was hysterical. "I loved you, Ares! LOVED you! And now I find you raping Apphia?! She belongs to Apollo!"

Artemis laughed, stepping forward. "You loved him? You could never love anybody, you disgusting bitch!"

Aphrodite turned towards the huntress, her eyes filled with rage. "YOU! You planned this!"

Artemis laughed again.

"Wait, what? You planned this?!" Apollo demanded. I swallowed my tears, trying to concentrate.

Apollo's sister looked at us, the cold light in her eyes distinguishing. "Did I plan for Apphia to be harmed? No. I went to Nemesis, to seek revenge on Aphrodite." The crowed gasped. Artemis' smile returned as she glared at the love goddess. "Now you finally know how it feels, huh? To have your heart broken? You finally know my pain, you filthy slut!"

With a cry of furry, Aphrodite lunged at Artemis. Hephaestus and Poseidon leaped between the goddesses, but not before Artemis received a large black eye.

"Don't you know what you have done?!" Screamed Aphrodite. "The prophecy says that Apphia is not meant to be with anyone else besides Apollo! You have endangered her life!"

Everyone turned towards me, and suddenly, everything fell into place. This was why Ares had been blasted away from me, and why I now had a horrible fever. The world started to grow fuzzy, and I cringed.

"Apphia…" Apollo said, seeing the look on my face. My eyes started to close. I was so tired…so tired…"Apphia, stay with me! You'll be fine, the prophecy does not work like that! Please, stay awake!"

The world turned black.

A/N: I know what you are thinking. Calm down, don't do anything harmful to your computer. I can't kill off my main character, or else I'll have no story! Well, technically, I could…but it's fine. She isn't dead. That's all I'm gonna say.

Also, am I the only one who absolutely loves Hermes and Dionysus? I felt the story needed some comedic relief, so BAM! They were born. Please, tell me what you think of them and feel free to give me ideas of what they should do in the future (Funny ideas) Also, this chapter talks about rape. I just want to let you guys know that it is WRONG to have sex with someone person before you feel ready. This is what I feel that this chapter is about.

Read and review! The next chapter is going to take a while cuz' it has major smut.


	10. Dreams are annoying

A/N: Ok. Here it is. The chapter you all are waiting for…ya bunch of pervs. Jk, jk. J

Enjoy.

Apphia's P.O.V.

Images flashed in my mind. Some were colorful, strange blurs that slid in front of my eyes so quickly, that I couldn't make out the scene they held. Others I could see clearly.

My mother was standing before me, holding a small child in her arms. The young girl had bright green eyes, and a headfull of golden locks. The younger me was laughing as I bounced in my mother's lap, not aware of the other people in the room. My mother was happily oblivious to them as well. Aphrodite and her son Eros, both dressed in black, stood watching my mother and me. Next to them stood the fates, as horrible as ever. The first one was just starting to unravel a long, golden thread.

The image disappeared as quickly as it had come.

The forest in which I grew up stood before me, my practice clearing strangely clean and uncluttered. A young girl with my green eyes was attempting to string her very first arrow.

Eros was nearby, still unnoticed by me. His curl covered head was bent over a piece of parchment, and I listened in as he read out loud. "…Her skill in archery will grow to perfection, but she must remain unnoticed by Artemis. Do whatever it takes. My dear son, she will turn into a beautiful young woman, but you must make sure that no man takes any notice of her. Do not shoot your arrows for her. The sun god will come when it is time." Eros scowled, throwing the letter to the ground. The image shifted.

I was older, about 16, walking through the kingdom with my sisters. We stopped at a cart to buy fruit. Several men came forward to talk to my sisters, but none so much as glanced at me. I bought the produce, not noticing Eros standing at my side.

The images began to move very quickly. I was 20, singing with Apollo in the forest. I was yelling at Apollo as I led the donkey cart home. I was at the festival, drinking and laughing with men. I was passed out in Apollo's arms, leaning my head on his chest as he took me to Olympus. I was kissing Apollo on a bed, not noticing as he took his shirt off. I was talking to Ares, and then Artemis in the training arena. I was yelling at Apollo, yelling at myself, meeting the fates, flying home, kissing Apollo, going to the concert, talking to Lilly, dancing with Apollo….

Two green eyes danced in front of me, a cold voice laughing as I gasped in terror. "The scales are even." The voice spoke, and one last image played before my eyes.

I glimpsed myself looking in a mirror, Lilly at my side. We were both smiling, our faces filled with excitement. My eyes were happy, maybe even content. I was wearing a long white dress…

"Apphia…"

"Mmmmph…"

"Apphia…

"Ugggh….five more minutes…"

"Apphia, it's me."

My eyes snapped open, then quickly closed as the light hit them.

Apollo was leaning over me, his face filled with concern. "Are you all right?" He whispered, feeling my forehead.

"No…" I mumbled, daring to open my eyes again.

"What do you need?"

"Fooooooood….nooooowwww…." I managed to say.

He chuckled. Gods do I love it when he chuckles. It's the sound that pie would make if it could talk.

"Open wide." Apollo murmured, bringing a warm pastry to my lips.

I took a bite, sighing with joy. "That's it. Take me now Hades, I can die happy."

Apollo chuckled again. Did I mention I love it when he does that? "You're not dying on my watch."

I sat up a bit, rubbing my temples. "What happened?"

"You passed out."

"No shit."

"Ok, ok. The prophecy had a slight effect on you when Ares…." Apollo paused. "Did he…you know…"

"No. Something blasted him away before he could."

He scowled. "That dirty bastard. He's lucky I had you to look after, or else I would have blown his sorry ass sky high."

"What happened to him?" I asked, grasping Apollo's hand.

"Zeus banished him to Earth for a few hundred years. I think he was happy to go, actually. Persephone looked ready to rip him in two."

I smiled. "There is a reason why we are friends."

Apollo nodded, leaning his forehead against mine. "I can see that."

I closed my eyes, letting him kiss me. When our lips met, I felt a sharp buzz in my chest. I pulled back in shock. "Did you feel that?"

"No…hey, your color is coming back." He touched my cheek swiftly, then gripped my wrist to check my pulse. "You heart beat is back to normal. How do you feel?"

I was taken aback a bit by his question. "Uh, actually, I feel really good."

Apollo's face lit up, and he let out a loud sigh. "It's the prophecy. Now that you've kissed me, you have proven that you did not want to be with Ares."

"Wait, what?"

"Trust me on this one, I'm also the Oracle god." His blue eyes twinkled, and I couldn't help smiling.

"I trust you." I was the one to start the kiss this time, but he soon overpowered me. Our tongues battling once more, he pushed me against the head board of the bead and straddled me with his legs. I wrapped my arms around his neck, sighing into his mouth as his hands ran up and down my sides.

He started to trail his kisses down my neck, occasionally stopping to suck or nip a sensitive area. Our breaths were becoming heavier, my mind clouding with pleasure. Apollo dropped lower towards my chest and began to tug on the soft fabric that covered my body. Realizing that he was asking me for my permission, I gave him a small nod. He, unlike Ares, pulled the cloth off of me slowly and with gentle hands.

I moved my own hands up his chest, then began to tug on his toga. In a few seconds, we were both naked.

Some part of me was surprised and worried about how fast this had escalated. I pushed that part of me down. No only did I want this, but according to the prophecy, it was meant to be.

I glanced down at Apollo's penis, letting out a small squeak when I saw how big it was. "You're way bigger then Ares." Was all I could manage.

Thankfully, he laughed. "What did you expect?" Apollo whispered, his voice gravely. Before I could answer, he lowered himself on top of me, his mouth right above one of my nipples. He breathed warm air onto the pink bud, making it perk in excitement. I gasped in shock as he took it into his mouth, moving it around with his tongue. His other hand reached across my chest, softly grabbing my other breast.

I moaned as he pleasured me, trying not to shudder every time he switched positions on my breasts. He moved his tounge around my nipples, his other hand repeating the motions. When I could not take it any more, I reached down with my hand and softly gripped his penis. Apollo froze, amazement written on his features. It was already hard, but my touch seemed to make it grow. I slowly ran my hand up and down his thickness, watching his reactions to my touch. He screwed his eyes shut, once and a while emitting little sighs or moans. I experimented a bit, flicking the end with my index finger. That brought a whole new reaction. Hi eyes rolled back and he bucked his hips forward into my hands.

I began to notice some liquid dripping out of the end, so I began to remove my hand, but he stopped me. His bright glue eyes found mine, and he asked me my permission again. I nodded. I was ready.

"It's going to hurt." He warned.

"I know. I want you, Apollo."

"Oh gods, Apphia. You're going to be the end of me."

He lowered himself into me.

I winced in pain as he moved slowly, inch by inch. He would stop every few seconds to allow me get used to the feel of him. There was so much pain, but it was thinly veiled with pleasure. Apollo held onto me, whispering words of comfort in my ear as he slipped in deeper. My tight walls closed in around him once he was fully in, and we both groaned. Him in pleasure, me in pain.

Apollo, hearing my groan, put his right hand on my cheek. A warm sensation started where his skin touched mine. It traveled down my body, lower and lower, and then the pain I was feeling disappeared.

I looked up at him in shock.

He lowered his lips to my ear. "It helps when you're the god of medicine." He began to move in and out of me, starting slow, then speeding up. Now that there was no more pain to feel, I reacted in pure bliss.

Apollo continued to pick up the pace until he was ramming into me at full speed. I was on the verge of something big, but I didn't know what. Every time he pounded into me, I would gasp as the pressure built.

"Apollo. I'm…oh fuck yes…"

I guess he knew what was going to happen, because he quickly flipped us around so that he was on his back. He put his hands on my hips and began to move me up and down, so that I was literally sitting on his penis. Apollo took full control over me, grating his hips into me with a steady, rhythmic beat. I held onto his shoulders as I rode him, my breasts bouncing with every push.

"Apollo! I'm going to…" I gasped suddenly. My entire body shook with a sudden force. I felt my inner walls tighten around Apollo, and he let out a low guttural sound from his chest. Liquid burst into me, and I found it warm like his touch. After about a minute, we both collapsed on the bed.

"What…what was that?" I panted.

I felt Apollo roll onto his side, then pull me close. Instead of answering right away, he nibbled a bit on my earlobe. "That…was your first orgasm, love."

I thought on that for a moment, before closing my eyes and sinking into the god's warmth.

For the first time in my life, I felt truly happy.

A/N: Short chapter, I hope it was worth it. It's my first smut, so I need opinions. Please feel free to give out suggestions. For the story and how they should (ahem) do it next.


	11. Eros is annoying

Apphia's P.O.V

I must have fallen asleep, because Apollo was gone when I opened my eyes again. I rolled over to look at his side of the bed, wincing a bit because of the pain between my legs. I guess Apollo's medicine touch only went so far. My mind was whirling with thoughts and questions. I had wanted to talk to Apollo about them the last time I woke up, but his side of the bed was now cold.

I glanced out the window. It was evening now, and the sun was just beginning to set. It's last dying beams shone through the open veranda and into the room, giving off a comforting warmth. I sighed and let my head fall back on the pillow. Only, I didn't hit the pillow. I hit a card.

It was a simple sheet of parchment, a few words sketched in elegant handwriting across the surface. A small box sat next to it, and I picked it up as I read the note.

_I'm sorry I couldn't be at your side this morning. Zeus called me in on an emergency meeting, then proceeded to throw a child-like tantrum when I refused to come. For the king of the skies, he can be a real baby. (Don't tell him I said that. Baby or not, he can still fry my ass.) I don't know how long this meeting will take, but I will try to get back to you as soon as I can. I'm sure you have a lot of questions, and we didn't exactly talk when you woke up._

I flushed at this. I could practically see his triumphant smirk.

_Nonetheless, I will be home soon my love. Please open the present. I think you will like what is inside._

_-Apollo_

_God of sun, music, medicine, and sexiness. _

_P.S. Persephone, Hermes, and Dionysus are coming over. I thought I should warn you._

I smiled. I knew Lilly must be eager to see me, and I found that I wanted to see Hermes and Dionysus too. Maybe they could answer some of my questions. I looked at the box, wondering what a god would give a mortal girl. I felt a little foolish as I gingerly opened the lid, but that was soon forgotten once I saw what was inside.

Apollo had given me the most beautiful broach I had ever seen. It was in the shape of a blooming rose, and I could tell that it was made out of pure gold. It seemed so delicately precious that I was afraid to touch it. I had come from a poor family, so just having this masterpiece in my precessnce was almost too much for me. I was constantly surrounded by beauty on Olympus, but nothing I had seen was comparable to Apollo's gift.

Of course, my family wasn't really poor anymore. Apollo told me that he had been sending them shipments of gold and good luck, so now they were practically living like royalty. I couldn't help but think of my family as I admired the broach. I had grown away from them it seemed, but it was a bit awkward now. We never did have that much to talk about and now that I was living with a god it was as if we were not even related.

I didn't even realize that I was fingering the broach until it stabbed my index finer. I nursed my wound, and gently placed the rose on my bedside table. Just then, the door burst open, and I was brutally attacked by the goddess of flowers.

"Oh my god's Apphia! Are you all right?!" Lilly demanded as she chocked/hugged me.

"I will be when you stop strangling me!" I gasped, and she immediately let go. She smiled broadly, and I smiled back. She looked pretty today. Her red hair was tied in a daring half up, half down fashion, and she was wearing her usual pink chiton.

Lilly took a step back, observing me. "Well, you certainly look alright…despite the fact that you're butt naked."

I flushed and pulled the covers up to my chin.

She narrowed her eyes. "In fact, it's as if you are almost glowing…did Apollo work his magic on you?"

My face turned a deeper shade of red, although I was pretty sure she meant his healing magic. "Yeah, he did. Is Hermes and Dionysus with you? Apollo said they would come." I said, quickly changing the subject.

"They're coming. You better get changed before the get here though."

"That's probably a good idea." I started to get out of bed, then glanced at Lilly sheepishly. "Um…can you turn around for a moment?"

Lilly rolled her eyes, but did as I asked.

I half ran and limped to my closet, threw on a pink gown with a blue sash, and pinned the whole thing together with the new broach. "All right, you can look now."

Lilly turned and eyed Apollo's gift. "Where did you get that?"

"Uh…" I tried to walk over to the mirror, but I limped along the way. I had to keep my legs separated, and Lilly definitely saw.

"And why are you walking like that?"

"Uh…"

"And why are you blushing so much?"

"Well-"

"OH MY GODS!" She pointed at me, then at the bed, then at me again, and then at the broach.

"No no no no no no! It's not what you think!" It was exactly what she thought, and we both knew. Still, I shook my head and waved my arms like the dumb ass I am.

Lilly's "o" shaped mouth quickly turned into a knowing smile. "You totally got laid!"

"Who got laid now?" Hermes suddenly walked into the room, looking all smug in an orange toga.

"Apphia did! By Apollo!" Lilly gushed.

Hermes grinned. "It was bound to happen."

I silently wished that it was possible to die of embarrassment.

The messenger god sauntered forward and clapped me on the back. "We were coming to see if you were all right, but you seem just fine to me!"

"Yeah, besides the two pain-in-my-asses, I'm feel perfect." I snapped, limping pathetically back to the bed.

"Pain-in-her-asses?"

Lilly chortled. "She means us."

"Well, you better make that three pains-in-you-asses. Dionysus is here."

I carefully sat down on the cushion. "Where? I don't see him."

Hermes threw up his hands dramatically, then went to the door. "Hey Dionysus! Get your ass in here!"

"Not so loooouuuud." The wine god moaned as he stumbled into the room. His nose was no longer pink, but he looked terrible. His white toga was on backwards, he had dark circles under his eyes, and his hair was a curly mess. He was obviously dealing with a strong hangover.

I stifled a laugh. "Good evening my lord. How are you feeling today?"

Dionysus didn't even look at me, but he did flick his hand underneath his chin to acknowledge what I said.

"I would watch yourself. The last time he was like this, he turned a ship's crew into dolphins." Hermes warned me.

"Really?" I narrowed my eyes in Dionysus direction. "Why dolphins?"

He shrugged. "I like dolphins. They are easier to deal with than humans."

"How so?"

"They don't ask questions." He snapped.

I smiled. "I'm beginning to like you guys. Hey, why did you two come over?" I asked suddenly, pointing at Hermes and Dionysus. "It's not like we know each other that well."

The messenger god smirked, reminding me for a second of Apollo. "I don't know. You seemed like a fun girl, and we wanted to visit you."

"_He _wanted to visit you. _I _wanted to sleep." Dionysus protested.

Hermes rolled his eyes. "Plus, I didn't feel like hanging out with Mister Menstrual Cycle all day long."

The wine god growled something particularly nasty under his breath.

Lilly walked over to sit beside me. "Apphia, are you sure you are all right?" Her blue eyes searched mine, looking for any amount of discomfort.

"Yes! I'm fine…well…I'm ok, I guess." I thought for a moment, remembering the dreams I had after I passed out. "Actually, I have a few questions for you guys."

All of them, including Dionysus, gave me their full attention. It was a bit intimidating, seeing how they were all gods, so I stuttered a bit. "Is, um…W-where is Aphrodite? Is she all right?"

They were clearly not expecting that. It took awhile for me to get an answer, but Lilly finally provided one. "We're not really sure. She has been locked in her palace all day, and according to her servants, she's crying her eyes out. She blames Artemis for what happened." She rolled her eyes. "She's _such_ a drama queen."

Hermes snorted. "As if Artemis is any better. None of us can find her, but no one really wants to anyways." He hesitated, pondering something. "You know, I have always thought of Artemis as a smart woman, but now…"

"That 'smart woman', has satyr poop for brains." Dionysus huffed. "She went to Nemeses, the goddess of revenge! You have to be half crazy to do that!"

I was confused. "But, isn't Nemeses also the goddess of equality? For every bad thing that happens, she has to dish out some good luck, right?"

Lilly shook her head. "Not exactly. Yes, she does give out good luck, but she loves to wait before she does it. I think that you will get your share of good luck, but it may take a while…and a mean a WHILE." She growled the last part, staring down at her hands. I couldn't help but wonder if she had met Nemeses before.

Whatever it was, Hermes seemed to know about it because he quickly changed the topic. "So, do you have any other questions for us?"

I decided to play along. "Yeah, actually. Do you guys know why Artemis and Aphrodite are fighting?" _And why I'm involved…_ I thought to myself.

Lilly raised her head, her expression as confused as mine. Hermes shrugged again, but I suspected that he knew more then he was letting on.

A groan from the back of the room. "Oh, come now! It's so obvious!" Dionysus had been leaning against the wall by the open window, but now he righted himself with a small grunt. He smiled grimly, and I had no doubt that he was going to tell us no matter how obvious the story was.

Hermes gave Dionysus a warning look that I wasn't supposed to see, but the wine god continued as if nothing had happened. "They're still in a fuss about that whole Orion thing."

"The hunter?"

"Bingo. Artemis and him used to be best friends, or something. This would skip off together into the woods to kill fuzzy things. So, Orion ended up crushing on your boyfriend's sister, and visa versa. Go figure."

I frowned. "But, I thought that Artemis was the goddess of eternal maidenhood."

"Oh, she is. That's what makes the gossip so interesting." Dionysus said animatedly. He was really enjoying this. "I doubt that she would have actually, you know, been with him, but they had something. And get this, Orion was already Aphrodite's lover."

Oh. Well, that explained the bitch fight. But there was still something missing…"What did Aphrodite do to piss off Artemis?" I asked warily.

Dionysus' grin disappeared. He shared a brief look with Hermes before continuing. "She…well, she exploded. Went completely bonkers when she found out. You know how the myth says that Apollo sent the scorpion to kill Orion?"

"Yeah…" I had forgotten that part.

"He didn't. The sweet, beautiful, kind love goddess murdered her own lover. She figured that if she couldn't truly have him, then no one could."

I shuddered. So I had been right about Aphrodite, she was dangerous.

"She made it look like Apollo did it, since he was the only god that Artemis would not destroy when she found out Orion was dead. Apollo told us the truth though." He pointed at himself and Hermes. "And we thought that we were the only ones who knew."

"But Artemis was too smart for that." Lilly guessed.

Dionysus nodded. "Yeah, only she kept the secret. I don't know why, but she did."

"Maybe she was too embarrassed or something." Lilly offered.

I shook my head. "She was biding her time, thinking over her attack."

The silence that followed was deafening.

I still had one more question though. "When Ares was about to…you know…" I cleared my throat. "A golden light shoved him away from me."

"And you want to know what that was?" Hermes guessed.

I nodded.

He sighed, rolling his eyes. "It was the prophecy of 'true love', or something." He made little quotation marks with his hands.

"Oh." I was still confused.

"Don't make me go into detail. I really, really, REALLY hate all that mushy love crap. Just look at what it did to Helen of Troy!"

"Who?" Dionysus, Lilly, and I ask at the same time.

Hermes grimaced. "Sorry. Zeus told me no to tell anyone yet."

Lilly took my hand in hers. "Apphia, would you like us to leave? Are we annoying you?"

"No! Don't leave!" I practically shouted.

She smiled. "Well, it's boring in here. Why don't we go out and do something?"

I was immediately suspicious. That was brought up a bit too quickly. "Go out and do what exactly?" I asked warily.

Lilly's smile grew, and she glanced at Hermes. His impish face lit up. "Oh hell yes."

Dionysus sighed dramatically. "There goes my weekend."

"What? Somebody explain, please." I demanded, a bit impatiently.

"We are going to show you how to party like a god." Hermes chuckled. "This is going to be awesome."

I looked at Lilly. "Should I be worried?"

"Yup. In fact, _I _would be worried if you weren't."

It was obviously some plan to make me forget about Artemis and Aphrodite, but I wasn't upset. I wanted to do something fun and exciting, and I had a feeling I was about to get my wish.

In fact, I got way more than I bargained for.

"Ok, so when you grab his arrows, you need to sprint off at full speed. Trust me, he won't be happy." Hermes seemed delighted by this fact. All four of us were hidden behind a cluster of bushes in a forest near Ithaca, spying on Eros. Our plan was simple. As soon as he was distracted, grab his magical arrows and take off.

Or, at least it was simple, until I was told that I was the one that had to do it.

"I still don't see why it has to be me." I grumbled, peering through the shrub at Eros' handsome face.

Lilly sighed impatiently. "Ok, look. If it was me, Eros would go straight to Zeus or Hades. If it was Hermes, he wouldn't react. If it was Dionysus…well, the party pooper won't do it anyway so it doesn't matter." She whispered.

I stared at the young (good looking) god. His bow and quiver was lying on a rock, about three feet from where he slept in the grass. It was not far from where we stood, but I still did not see the point in doing this. Hermes was the god of thieves, so he was psyched when Lilly voiced what she wanted to do. The spring goddess, I suspected, just wanted to have fun and feel the rush.

Dionysus, on the other hand, was against the entire idea. "This is idiotic, reckless, and rude." He groaned, disgruntled.

I snorted. "And this is coming from the god who farted instead of introducing himself to me?"

"Point made."

"All right," Hermes began, going into general mode. "Mr. Hangover and I will cause the distraction, Apphia will grab the arrows, and Lilly will help her run away."

I frowned. "Why would I need help running."

He smirked. "You'll see. Come on, Dionysus."

The wine god held a hand to his ear. "What was that? I'm sorry, but I couldn't hear you over all of this BULL CRAP!" He shouted.

"SSSSSSHHHHHHH!" We all hissed, glancing at Eros. The love god didn't move.

Hermes glowered at Dionysus, who pointed at himself innocently, mouthing the words "Who, me?"

But, he gave in and followed Hermes into the forest. Lilly and I waited in tense silence.

When I couldn't stand it any longer, I spoke. "Lilly, what is the meaning of this?"

"Of what?" Her eyes widened innocently.

"You know, stealing Eros' arrows. Why?"

She laughed quietly. "Why not? Can't we do anything for fun?"

I didn't answer.

Lilly bit her lip, her eyes not meeting mine. "Ok, just hear me out on this, all right?"

"I will…"

"We just wanted to show you that we…the gods…are normal. We can have fun too."

I narrowed my eyes. "What do you mean?"

Lilly threw me a nasty look, and I flinched. "Oh, come on Apphia! So far, your experiences with the gods have involved curses, lies, kidnapping, rape, and deception. I just want to help you see that it is not always like that!"

She was really upset. Too upset. I stared at her as she tried to hide her tears, feeling as though I was missing something big. When I realized what was actually happening, I let out a small, shocked gasp.

When Lilly said "you experiences", she was not talking about me. She was talking about herself.

Lilly had been cursed. She was forced to stay in the land of Hades in the cold months, then travel to her mother in the warmer seasons. Either way could be a punishment for her.

She had been lied to, by Demeter. I knew that the harvest goddess told her own daughter lies about men, and the meaning of their words and actions. Lilly must have been scared to death when she met Hades.

The kidnapping and rape was obvious, but I had a feeling that it went beyond Hades taking her away. Lilly was beautiful, too beautiful for her own good. On the subject of kidnapping, my poor friend might also mean her own mother and father, since they were forcing her to come back to earth every year.

Deception. I had no idea what she meant by that. Perhaps Hades, Demeter, or some other god could have tricked her in some way, but I had a feeling that there was more to it. Perhaps another painful tale of Persephone's life.

Before I could say anything, a loud clanging noise from up ahead caught my attention.

Lilly grinned, the tears gone. "That's our cue."

Eros slowly lifted his head, blinking his eyes a couple of times. He looked off in the direction of the racket, obviously furious. I had a feeling that he did not like being interrupted during naptime. He stood, and trudged off towards the noise.

I had a feeling that Hermes' powers had a hand in helping him forget his arrows, because they still lay on the rock when he left. I leapt up, Lilly forgotten. It only took me seconds to grab the quiver, but when I got back, Lilly was gone. In her place was a thin trail of flowers. I took the hint, and quickly followed the path.

It was not long before I could hear the flapping of wings from up above.

Apollo's P.O.V.

This meeting was the sun god's personal hell.

It seemed to drag on forever as the gods of Olympus all took turns voicing their many problems. Athena was arguing with Poseidon about Athens again, Demeter was threatening Hades, and Hera was grumbling about some woman named Io. Apollo thought he heard something about a cow and Egypt, but he couldn't be sure.

There were a lot of absences. Hermes and Dionysus were missing, but they usually did not come to meetings. Ares was gone, but that was expected. Aphrodite was also missing, and Hephaestus continued to glance at her throne, as if she would suddenly appear. The poor man truly did not deserve that horrible woman.

Apollo felt as though his sister's absence was the most noticeable. She should have been seated next to him, but her throne was cold and empty. He was torn. Half of him wanted to search for her, but the other half wanted her to stay away. She had put Apphia in danger, used her as if she were a worthless object of war.

If his sister did come back, she was going to have hell to pay.

His mind drifted off to the events of earlier that day. Apollo smirked slightly as he remembered Apphia kissing him, pulling off his toga, willingly letting him-

"-Apollo, what is you opinion on this?"

"Uh, what?"

Hera sighed impatiently. "What is your opinion on Io? Should she live?" She spoke each word slowly, as if talking to an imbecile.

Apollo had never really liked his father's wife, and that understandable when one considered all the pain and fear she had caused his mother. Hera had interrupted his thoughts at the wrong time, and he was still fuming over his missing sister. So, when he answered, he held nothing back. "Of course she should live. As far as I can tell, the girl has committed no crime. In fact, if I am to ever meet Io, I will congratulate her."

Hera's nostrils flared. It was highly amusing. When she spoke again, it was through gritted teeth. "And why, my dear stepson, would you congratulate her?"

Apollo smiled, ignoring the look of warning from his father. "Isn't it obvious, dear stepmother? She should be rewarded for reminding you that you will never be enough for your own husband, that your pointless attempts at revenge have taught no lessons, and that everyone will always see you as the overbearing old crone you truly are."

The room grew silent. No one _ever_ insulted the queen, and lived to tell the tale. Hera stood slowly, her eyes filled with rage. "How _dare _you!"

Apollo followed her movements, also standing. "I believe that these times call for honesty." He glared at Aphrodite's and Artemis' empty thrones. "All those that choose to lie should suffer in the deepest chasms of the Underworld, for all eternity." It did not matter that the goddesses were not present, he knew they were listening. Apollo bowed in Hera's direction, still staring at his sister's throne.

As he left the throne room, he could hear Zeus speak to his wife. "Do not mind him. He is in pain."

Was he? Apollo couldn't tell. He was too numb to feel anything. Nothing made sense now. He needed to find Apphia.

"I suppose you are going to look for the young maiden?"

Apollo jumped, startled. His sandals caught on the uneven pavement, sending the sun god crashing to the ground. He rolled over himself a few times before landing on his back, Hestia looking down at him with twinkling amber eyes.

"I take it that you didn't notice me."

Apollo groaned in response.

His aunt seemed to get prettier every time he saw her. Her dark skin was smooth and flawless, her eyes glowing brightly in contrast. Hestia's dark, curly hair was tucked back in a brown hood that covered her entire figure, which was strange for an Olympian. She was happy to see him. Her full lips were pulled back in a bright smile.

"Hello, Hestia."

"You're hurt." She stated as he picked himself up.

"No. I'm fine."

"I'm not talking about physical injuries."

His head snapped up. She stared coolly back at him. Apollo turned away quickly, and began walking again. He saw no reason for answering, she hadn't asked _if_ he was hurt.

Much to his displeasure, Hestia followed him. "I'm not leaving so easily."

He sighed, giving in. "I figured as much." He also figured that this conversation was far from over.

"You knew your sister and Aphrodite were listening."

"Yes. That's why I said it."

"Did it ever occur to you that they are in enough pain already?"

Apollo laughed with no amusement. "Why on earth would Artemis be in pain? She got what she wanted."

Hestia stared off into the distance. "We all wish for something, but when we finally get it, perhaps it is not as we imagined it to be."

He was angry now, but he did not know why. "Wise words, but they are not true. I wished for Apphia, and when she returned my love, it was better than I could have possibly imagined."

"There is no need to wish for something that you already had."

His pace slowed to an abrupt halt. Hestia stopped beside him, and the two gods stared off into the distance. They did not look at each other, but a certain understanding passed between the two of them.

When Hestia spoke for the last time, her voice had a grave edge to it, as if she had seen this happen before. "Remember Apollo, forgiveness is impossible at times, but it is the key for one to recover."

When Apollo turned to look at the goddess, she was gone. He smiled slightly. That was another thing he liked about Hestia. No flashes, no great clouds of flame, just entering and leaving without a big show. There was a lesson in that, but he didn't have time to figure it out. Apollo had to get home and to Apphia.

Apphia's P.O.V.

I prayed to the gods that I was simply being followed by a giant pigeon. Considering my luck, I was not even close.

"Thief! Throw down my arrows and I might let you live!" Eros growled from up above me. He couldn't exactly see me, thanks to the thick trees of the forest, but I knew it couldn't be long before I was caught.

Lilly's flower path did help though. It winded through difficult paths in the forest, making had for Eros to follow. She should have known that my luck would not allow it to be that easy. My sandal caught on a rock, sending me crashing to the ground. I rolled over my self a couple of times, throwing curses out every time I could catch a breath. I landed hard on my back, my vision a bit blurry.

Eros' face looked down at me. It was no longer full of anger, but surprise and amusement. "Apphia? Why did you take my arrows?" He asked, and I thought I could hear some huskiness in his tone. The god was really happy to see me.

"Trust me, it was not my idea." I grumbled, trying to roll away.

He gripped my shoulders, his face much closer to mine than I would have liked it to be. "Where are you going, fair one?"

I was ready this time. I kicked up at his gut, causing his grip to lessen just a bit. I rolled over again, but he rolled with me. The force of both our bodies caused us to tumble over a small hill. Every time we hit a bump, I cried out. "Shit…shit…oh gods shit…shit shit shit shit SHIIIIIIIIIIIITTTTT!"

When we finally stopped rolling, I noticed two things. Eros was still on top of me, and he was cracking up. "What on earth could be so funny?!" I growled.

"You!" He cried, gripping my shoulders again. "No wonder Apollo loves you so much!"

I rolled my eyes. "All right, that's nice. Can you let me go now?"

"Oh no, I'm not done." He whispered, breathing on my neck. I froze, and he chuckled. "You must know by now that I was supposed to watch over you while you grew older, an unfortunately, more beautiful." He rubbed his hand down my arm, causing me to shudder in fear and panic. Eros laughed quietly, a smile slowly growing on his lips. "Don't worry. I won't hurt you. I will never hurt you, Apphia. I am quiet...happy that you stole my arrows. "

I squirmed, trying unsuccessfully to get out of his grasp. "Eros, I'm warning you. Apollo is going to kill you."

His dark brown eyes bore into mine. "Apollo does not deserve you. He knows nothing about you. I have watched you grow, I have watched you become the woman you are today. I know you better than you know yourself."

I tried to turn away from his gaze, but his hand quickly grabbed my chin, my arm still pinned underneath his elbow. I couldn't believe my luck. First Apollo, then Ares, and now Eros! My life sucked.

"Eros, the prophecy! I don't love you!" I was practically shrieking now.

"I know. I plan on changing that."

He began to lean in, and I realized what he was doing when it was too late. "No-"

His lips crashed down on mine. For all those ladies out there, kissing the god of love is an…interesting experience. Eros' lips moved against mine with a slow determination, even against my resistance. His hand still held my chin in place, I couldn't move. His tongue darted out at times to try to force itself through my closed entrance. I remained impassive, even as he took my bottom lip in his mouth. When he bit down on it, I fought the urge to gasp, knowing that was what he wanted. Eros chuckled. "Tough, are we?"

When his lips left mine, I sighed in relief. But he was far from done. His hand slowly tilted my head back, giving him access to my neck. He kissed lightly down my jaw line, being careful to no leave any marks for Apollo to find.

"Eros, I'm begging you…" I was a bit breathless from the kiss, and his hot breath against my skin was not helping.

"Just enjoy yourself Apphia. Give in." He tugged on my ear, almost sending me over the edge. His hand ran down my arm and to my waist, massaging the sensitive skin there.

I tried to form a complete sentence. "Eros, I was almost rap-"

"-I will not rape you." His tone was dangerous, but his mouth stayed on my earlobe. "I would never do such a thing."

"Then why are you-"

I was interrupted again by the sound of running feet.

Eros sighed impatiently, kissing me on the forehead one last time. "We will meet again." I blinked, and he was gone, along with his stupid golden arrows. I still couldn't move. It was as if he was still there, trapping me under his body. I was still catching my breath when the others found me, and they laughed at how I looked.

"Your hair is full of sticks!" Hermes guffawed, beside himself with laughter.

"What did he do, push you to the ground?"

I glared a Dionysus, causing him to go into hysterics. Lilly was laughing so hard, she couldn't talk.

My mind was whirling. I didn't understand something. When Ares had sexually advanced me, a golden light that had something to do with the prophecy blasted him back. When Eros had kissed me…nothing happened. I felt normal, just a bit shocked. What did this mean? It was as if the fates wanted this to happen.

No. I would not allow that. I loved Apollo, and no one else. No stupid love god could change that.

A/N: **PLEASE READ THIS! IT IS IMPORTANT AND YOU MUST READ IT!**

**Are you surprised? I would be if you weren't. I have some explaining to do. So, I had been planning this Eros thing for awhile, before the whole Ares thing. I had to put Ares in though for several reasons, mostly to explain the prophecy and to use him so that Artemis and Aphrodite could fight. It may sound like I'm being repetitive with the guys chasing Apphia, but Eros is important to the plot. Bear with me.**

**Now, before I go, I need you to do several things. I am very self conscious about my writing, and I need feedback, especially for chapter 10 (for obvious reasons). Also, tell me what you think about Hermes and Dionysus. Personally, I love them, but are they too over the top? **

**And now for a threat. I will not post another chapter unless I get reviews and you opinions on the above subjects. I need to know if this is worth writing. I love you guys, thanks for sticking with the story.**


	12. Steam is annoying

A/N: Thanks for the reviews you guys. I'm going to try to post a new chapter every other week, or every week but I'm not promising anything. I'm open to suggestions, seriously. Also, if any of you have any ideas for a short story that you want me to write (I'm talking one-shot kind of things) feel free to offer. I'll write it 9/10 times. Also, I have an important question to ask you guys. If anyone is up to it, I would love a drawing of Apphia and Apollo, or maybe a link to a picture that has something to do with the story. This sounds so self centered and greedy, but I would really like to have a nice picture as the story's profile thing. (Right now, it's a cat…not exactly related to the story…) I would do it myself, but I can't draw if my life depended on it and my dumb ass computer isn't good with picture. It's fine if you don't want to do it, it's not like I'm forcing you or anything. Lol, I'm such a loser. Making people find pictures for my own stories…blech :p

P.S. This chapter may be a little cranky, but that's because I got my bleeping braces tightened. This is ridiculous. No human being should be forced to go through this torture. :(

Artemis's P.O.V

The Underworld was cold. The silver eyed goddess had been expecting this, but the icy air still sent shivers down her spine.

Artemis stood facing one of the many entrances to the River Styx. The waiting souls glided away from her, their smoky eyes wide with fear. Some of the younger female souls were not as uncomfortable around her, and a few brave ones ventured closer, still maintaining a distance though.

It was for their sake rather then her own that she ignored them.

Charon was also surprised once he arrived, although he hid his emotions well under his black hood. He appeared to show no signs of unease as the souls and Artemis boarded his large boat, but the goddess knew better. He was extremely curious, and with good reason. After all, she had disappeared off the face of the earth after the…incident. Artemis stood close to him, sensing a conversation. She was right.

"How may I be of service, my lady?" Charon's voice seemed to wheeze out of his cloak, perhaps from the strain of misuse. He slowly lowered his oar into the water, paddling with a calm determination.

"I do not think that you can help me much, cloaked one. I wish to speak with the ruler of this domain."

He had been expecting this. "I can not help you much, your grace, but I can allow you to have a smooth passage to his throne. He will be waiting for you."

Artemis nodded solemnly, understanding Charon's intentions. He acted as a gateway for all the underworld's entrances. He could transport her to any position in the Underworld. This was needed, for gods could not appear and reappear in Hades' domain.

Artemis closed her eyes, and opened her other senses. When she could feel the change of her surrounding atmosphere, here eyelids snapped open. Charon had transported her right outside the door of Hades' throne room.

She smiled a bit. Charon was enjoying a hidden joke at her expense. She would be forced to enter and walk to his feet, as if he was her superior. Artemis had her dignity intact though, so she pushed open the gigantic doors with ease, and walked to the base of his throne with her head held high.

The huntress took great care to not take in her surroundings, as she knew that they would be set to intimidate. She concentrated on the thrones. Hades was lounging on a large black marble seat, as cold as his pale face and dark eyes. To his right, a smaller throne sat. It was similar to his, but wilted flowers twined around it's frame. Artemis guessed that they would bloom once the queen had returned.

Hade's dark eyes followed her every move. She bowed stiffly, knowing that he was not the person that she really wanted to talk to. Artemis only needed his acceptance of her request.

"Gracious uncle. It has been too long."

He knew why she was here. No surprise there.

"Artemis." He inclined his head slightly, his eyes never leaving her face. "I agree, it has been too long. In fact, I believe that you have not visited any member of our family lately." He smiled, a terrifying sight. "Your brother is…eager, to speak with you."

Artemis grit her teeth, keeping her temper in control. She was not surprised. He was going to play with her before any real progress could be made. "I have been in refuge for only a short time, but it is not my brother who I wish to see."

Hades pretended to not understand, the cruel overlord that he was. "I am at a loss then. Why is it that you seek me out?"

"You know as well as I do that it is not you who I must talk to." Her temper was flaring. She fought to keep it in check.

His smile widened. "I do? Pray tell, who is it that you must speak to so badly."

"Orion."

Hades' face morphed to shock, but Artemis wasn't fooled. She could see the dark amusement in his eyes. "The hunter? Oh, dear. I am afraid that I can't allow that to happen. My deepest apologies." He wasn't sorry in the slightest.

Artemis was shocked. Hades was supposed to let her speak to him, not block her way. This was not going to plan. She lost control, and spoke before she could stop herself. "How dare you keep me from him!" The huntress hissed.

Hades' amusement disappeared, anger replacing it. He spoke calmly, but that was far more terrifying then if he had been shouting. "My dear niece, what right do you have to contradict my actions?"

"What right do you have to keep Orion from me?" She spat, then gestured towards the queen's throne beside him. "It is clear that you know nothing about love, but believe me, this is beyond acceptable to stop us from talking to each other."

She immediately regretted what she said. It was clear that Hades was full of rage, a sight that told her rational brain to cower in fear. The lord of the Underworld stood slowly, his pale hands enclosed in fists at his sides. His eyes slowly turned red, and Artemis found it hard to meet his gaze. "I know more about love then you will ever know, great goddess of eternal maidenhood. " He spoke her title as if it was the greatest insult he could think of, and for Artemis, it suddenly was. "I have been told that you are wise, so you should know better then to test my temper."

"I am wise enough to see injustice, Hades. If you say you know of love, then you should understand why I am desperate to see Orion." Artemis fought to keep her tone calm once more. Her uncle was frightening, but she was braver then her fear.

Hades was still murderous, that much was clear. His face morphed back into a mocking smile. "Oh, I would love to reunite the two lost lovers, but you see, that is not in my control."

Artemis was silent. What game was this? "What do you mean…?"

His grin grew, and the goddess thought she saw a glimpse of fangs near the back of his mouth. "I mean that I am only allowed to let one of the gods speak to a citizen of my domain if they are both willing to do it."

Artemis took a step back. "I…I don't understand. I am willing to-"

"-Ah, yes, but Orion isn't."

The huntress could not move. Shock paralyzed her body.

Hades threw back his head, laughing up at the heavens at her disbelief. When he was through, he grinned back down at the goddess. "I believe that his exact words were, 'I never want to see either of those monsters again, especially the witch of a hunyer'."

"Witch?" She whispered, her fingers trembling. Orion couldn't…Hades must be lying…no, she wouldn't believe it! Yet, her mind told her that it was true. Artemis looked back up at her uncle, her eyes filled with her pain, and her pride. She wanted to make him angry, to make him regret his words, even though it was not his fault. "You are a cruel beast. It is no wonder why your wife longs to be away from you each year."

She waited until some of her own pain and shock was reflected in his eyes, then stormed out of his throne room. As she fled, a bellow of rage shook the ceiling above the goddess. Artemis wanted to cry out as well, but she held both her tongue and her tears.

A plan. She must have a plan. Yet, as she reached the entrance of his mighty castle, her mind could only think one thought.

_He no longer loves me._

Apphia's P.O.V.

Ever had a Greek bath? If you haven't, your missing out. Apollo had a separate bathhouse in his palace. A big one.

I slowly cleaned myself, sending away the servants that came to assist me. I did not see the sun god's helpers much, they usually kept quiet and out of the way. I had a feeling that they were nervous around me, which was understandable. I had been a real bi-….mean person when I first arrived at the palace.

I greedily washed myself with the scented oils that were left for me, rubbing them along my arms and in my hair. The water was so hot that steam rose off the surface and filled the room. It had a very soothing appeal, and I soon found myself closing my eyes and resting. The bath was shallow, so I was able to sit and lean against the edge of the deck. Many thoughts swirled through my head, the main one being the fact that I was STARVING. I mean, I hadn't eaten in what, six hours? The whole day? My stomach rumbled, answering my question.

I was daydreaming about what kind of desert sounded good at the moment, when the sound of an opening door filled my ears. I gasped, and quickly moved to the deeper end of the bath. I held my body close to me, only letting my head breach the surface of the water. I couldn't see who had entered through the steam, and that unnerved me.

I considered calling out, but then remembered Eros and his promise. He wouldn't sneak into Apollo's castle, right? I tried to calm myself, but it wasn't easy. For all I knew, this stranger could be out to kill me, rape me, or…I gulped. The steam was thick, so I assumed that the stranger could not see me as well. I held very still, waiting for my chance to escape.

I heard a slight splash to my left. My body tensed. The stranger was in the bath. I was well aware of how naked I was, and the thought of anyone laying eyes on me made me blush. I closed my eyes, and began to send a prayer to the gods. Then I remembered. It was most likely a god in the room, what good would praying to them do?

All I could do, was wait.

Apollo's P.O.V.

"Apphia? Are you here?" Apollo called. He had just entered his palace, and was standing in the great hall. "Apphia?" No answer. He narrowed his eyes. He didn't like having her out of his sights, especially after what happened.

_Calm down. _He told himself. _She is probably out with Persephone, Hermes, and Dionysus. She's safe._ Still, he made a mental note to always be at her side when she left the palace again. It occurred to Apollo that he may be acting a bit possessive, but he believed he had a right to. Apphia had a horrible knack for getting herself in trouble. So, when he reached his bedroom, he closed his eyes and concentrated. Thanks to the mark he had put on her, Apollo could sense Apphia's feelings if he really tried to. He felt a wave of relief rush through him when he realized that she was relaxed and happy.

A horrible scent reached his nose, ruining his concentration. _Holy Zeus, what is that stench?! _He searched the room for the smell, but it seemed to be everywhere at once. He hurried to his balcony window and threw open the curtains, trying to air out the room. It didn't work, and the sun god frowned in frustration. He ran his fingers threw his hair, gritting his teeth.

This was the last thing that he needed. What with the meeting, Artemis and Apphia missing, Aphrodite and her…..

Apollo paused, realizing something. He slowly lifted his arm, sniffing his pits. He pulled his face back with distaste as the horrible smell hit him full on. So, it was his own stench that filled the room! He was glad for a moment that Apphia wasn't here, she would never let him forget this. He didn't really mind though, a bath sounded relaxing.

Apollo walked to the bath house, wondering why he had placed it so far from his bedroom. It would surely make more sense for it to be near the sleeping area, right? No matter. As long as he got his bath. The sun god was a bit surprised when he found the bathing area full of steam. The servants must have heated his water for him. He entered the room and shut the door, quickly stripping down to his bare body. Apollo walked the edge of the bath, and let his foot enter the warm water. As he did so, he heard a small gasp from the deep end of the pool.

The sun god tensed. The gasp sounded like Apphia, but he couldn't be sure. He was just about to call out, when a prayer entered his mind. Of course, all gods could hear mortal prayers, but this one stood out to him. It was Apphia. She was scared, because someone was entering her bath and she didn't know who…the prayer stopped. He could sense her now. Her heart was beating franticly.

He smiled to himself, slipping slowly into the water, careful to make no sound. Apollo swam quietly through the water, nearing his woman.

Apphia's P.O.V.

I'm not patient, and I don't do well under pressure. I scare easily, often frightening myself. So, needless to say, I was utterly petrified. I was used to being the hunter, not the prey! I finally knew how the bunny felt before it was his by my arrow

Surely the stranger knew he was not alone by now. If he (I was sure it was a he) was a god, then he would be able to tell that a mortal was in the pool. I clenched my fists and closed my eyes, using my other senses to help me see through the mist. My whole body was tense and prepared for an escape, so I almost jumped out of the water when I felt a ripple by me. I yelped and began to swim away, but it was no use. The stranger grabbed my arms and pulled my back against his warm chest.

"It's no use escaping while I'm around." Apollo whispered into my ear.

I nearly cried in relief. "Apollo! I thought…I thought…"

"Shhh my love. There is no need to worry. You're safe in my arms."

He was right, I did feel safe in his arms. Yet, my nerves only seemed to escalate. In a good way though. (Hee hee.) I bit my lip as I felt his tongue outline the shell of my ear. I to stop myself from gasping.

He chuckled, and I could feel the sound travel through his body. "Why, my dear Apphia, I believe that you are not wearing any clothes…"

I tried to talk, but he kept chewing on my ear. "It-it…it is a bath a-after all…"

"Mmmhmm. Guess what?" He swiftly spun me around, letting me view his bare chest. His deep blue eyes bore into mine, and I could see my own lust and longing within them. "I'm not wearing any clothes as well."

I blushed. He really was easy on the eyes, if you know what I mean. "I can see tha-"

He didn't give me the chance to finish, diving straight for my neck. I blanked out as he kissed and sucked on my skin, hardly noticing when he pressed my against the pool wall. Apollo ran his warm hands along my legs, pulling them around his waist. I repeated the action with my arms and his neck, holding onto him as he worshiped my body. His hands ran over my sensitive belly and hips, coming tantalizing close to my womanhood.

I tried to concentrate on not moaning, groaning, gasping, or just plain drooling as his mouth traveled down to my collar bone. I gripped his golden hair, feeling him growl in response. Apollo lifted me out of the water just slightly, so that my breasts breached the surface. I felt the blood rush to my face as his eyes raked over my body, finally landing on my eyes. He held my gaze as he leaned forward, closing his warm mouth over one of my already alert nipples.

He smiled as he watched me try to hold in my sounds, swirling around the bud with his tongue. "Groan for me, Apphia."

I shuddered as his voice sent vibrations against my breast, but I shook my head stubbornly, afraid of the embarrassment I might bring on myself. He growled again, pulling away from my breast. I almost cried out then and there because of the loss of his warmth. Apollo lifted me up so that I was sitting on the edge of the bath, his head between my legs.

I could tell by the glint in his eyes that he was up for a challenge, a game. Apollo was going to try to make me moan, and he was sure to win at the rate he was going. Before I could say anything to stop him, he licked the inside of my right thigh. I tensed and gripped his shoulders tightly, nearly biting my lip off to stop a gasp. His tongue traveled up my sensitive skin, nearing the area between my legs. He moved slowly and deliberately, knowing perfectly well how he was making me feel. I was filled with need. I wanted him, NOW.

"Apollo…I need…" I tried to talk, but he interrupted me with another lick, this one closer to where I wanted him.

"Moan for me, and I'll oblige."

I was very close to either slapping him, or fully attacking him sexually. "Apollo, I'm warning you-"

"-You're not really in the position to be threatening me." He said cheekily, his hand creeping up my leg.

I glared down at him, then yanked his hair just to prove him wrong. The hand that wasn't feeling up my thigh gripped the other hand, stopping it from another yank.

"Naughty, naughty." He shook his head in mock disappointment. "You're going to have to be punished." And with that, he plunged right into me with his mouth. I threw my head back in a silent scream, still trying to maintain the game we were playing. It was incredibly hard to remain quiet, with his tongue darting in and out of my woman hood. Apollo was a master with his mouth, whether it involved singing, seducing, kissing, or whatever the hell he was doing at that moment. I didn't know what to call it, other then torturous pleasure.

I rolled my hips against his head, but one hand snaked up and held me still. The other hand went down to join the actions of his mouth, and soon his fingers were joining in with his tongue. I was very close to having an orgasm, a large one at that.

I tried to warn him right before it hit. "Apollo, I'm-AAAHH!" It caught me before I could finish, and I gave up trying to keep quiet. I moaned his name shamelessly, my hips involuntarily bucking against him. It was long, hard, and powerful. By the time I was done, I could hardly lift my head.

Apollo smiled a winners smile, rubbing it in like the male he was. He lifted his hand up to his face, still watching and supporting me with his other hand. I watched, transfixed, as he surveyed my essence on his fingers. He held my gaze as he brought his hand to his mouth, licking each digit tenderly.

"You taste and sound magnificent, you know."

I blushed, already embarrassed. I then remembered that he hadn't had his satisfaction yet, and immediately felt guilty. "Apollo, what about you? I'm sorry, I didn-"

He hoisted himself out of the water, kissing me on the lips tenderly. "Don't worry, I'll be fine. You just rest."

"But you-"

"Apphia, I am ordering you to sleep." He smiled down at me when I threw him a glare, but I suddenly found that I couldn't do anything less then lean against his shoulder and close my eyes.

Apollo's P.O.V.

She had tasted wonderful, sweet. He would rather drink Apphia than nectar any day. Apollo was a bit too embarrassed to tell her that he had actually satisfied him self while orgasmed, strange as it was. Just watching her come apart had caused him to do the same, but he had a feeling that it had something to do with being a god. He grimaced as he thought of the poor servant would have to clean the pool later.

He gripped Apphia's exhausted body in his arms, and transformed them to their bedroom. He pulled the warmer covers over their bare bodies, smiling to himself as she sighed and moved closer to him.

He couldn't be happier.


	13. Eros is REALLY annoying

A/N: Ok, so I'm going to start replying to reviews here. Sometimes you guys send me questions, and it's easier to reply to them this way.

veronica (Guest): Yeah, I had my own personal joke with the steam. XD Thanks for liking Hermes and Dionysus! I was wondering if I was the only one who loved them, but either way I'm planning on having them become regular characters. And about Apphia and Eros, you'll just have to wait and see! Don't worry, Psyche plays a large part in the story later. (Hint hint)

Mintfrost29: More is coming chica!

Miss Kristina: :-D

LOL (Guest): Glad you like it!

Guest: A fight you ask? Perhaps in the future. I plan on combining all the side stories into one big action packed chapter, but we still have a while before that climatic moment. Glad you're interested in the tension though! No couple is perfect. :D

Apphia's P.O.V

My dreams that night were jumbled blots of color, none of them making any sense at first. When the colors started to create shapes, I was confused. Something wasn't right, but I had no time to really think about the direction of my visions. Soon, I was lying in a wheat field, the wind gently sending waves among the breakable stalks.

I sat up slowly, feeling as though I was moving through water. I tried to focus on my surroundings, but I could barely tell that I was in a field. Everything seemed blurry and unwelcome, as if I was in someone else's dream. Yes, I was having one of those awesome dreams you are aware of yourself, and oh boy did I have plans for this dream. I'm talking shirtless Apollo plans.

I smiled to myself, and tried to sit up. That action alone was almost impossible to do. I felt as though I couldn't really control my body. I staggered onto my feet, trying to gain my balance back.

"Don't move. You'll make the dream shift."

I froze. I knew that voice. "Eros?" I called out warily, trying to look around.

"Yes, it is me. Don't bother trying to find me, I won't appear to you."

Frustrated, I glared off in the direction that his velvety voice came from. "I swear Eros, if you don't come out this instant…"

He chuckled, his voice a bit closer to where I was standing. "And what would you do?"

I thought for a moment, my eyes wandering down to my feet. An idea struck. "Do you see my sandals?"

"Yes. They are dirty, aren't they?"

I grinded my teeth together. "Well, my dirty sandals are going to go right up your pretty little ass if you don't show yourself right now."

Laughter came from my right. "Oh, so you think my ass is pretty?"

I had the strong urge to hit something, preferably Eros's face. "Stop spinning my words around. Show yourself so I can hurt you."

A sigh from behind. "Alas, even if I wanted to appear, I can't."

I frowned. "What do you mean you can't? You're a god, for Zeus's sake!"

"The god of love, to be precise." His voice didn't move this time, but stayed behind me.

I attempted to turn around, but gave up when the process took too much time. "So what if you're the god of love. What does that have to do with anything?" I huffed, frustrated with the horrible quality of my dream.

"It has to do with a lot, actually. You can't see me in your dreams because of who I am." He didn't wait for me to question him, but continued to talk. "You see, I appear differently to every person. It's all based on how they interpret love. For example, Apollo used to see me as a young lad. He saw love as something weak and foolish, and something that shouldn't be taken seriously."

I frowned. "You said he used to…Does he see you differently now?" I tried to sound as though I didn't care, but truthfully, Apollo's opinion on love mattered to me.

A small gust of wind brushed past my ear. "He now sees me as you see me. A beautiful man. A force to be reckoned with."

I winced. Eros seemed to be right next to me, mere centimeters from my ear. I tried to talk, not wanting to get into another dangerous situation with a male god. "Lord Eros, I am asking you to please leave me be. You're advances are flattering, but I am sure that you have heard of the prophecy involving Apollo and I."

Eros's voice did not move. "Ah, yes. The prophecy. Haven't you noticed how nothing has happened to me while I make these 'flattering advances'?"

I gritted my teeth. "You mock me."

"Yet I am right. Ares was blasted away, but not I. Surely you know what this means?" A cold finger touched my cheek. I sucked in a breath as his voice whispered through my ear again. "We are meant to be."

No. He was wrong. He had to be. I felt nothing but hate for Eros, even if he did have an amazing body. "You're wrong." I voiced my thoughts. "You are nothing to me. Stop chasing me."

"Mmmmmm but the unwilling ones are always so much fun to catch." His teeth grazed my ear slightly.

I was disgusted. I didn't need a lot of imagination to foresee where this would lead, so I tried to keep the dumb ass talking. "You were saying before that people see you differently."

"Mhhmmm…" It was obvious he didn't want to talk.

I closed my eyes as strong arms wrapped around my waist. It was already hard enough to concentrate in this dream, but with Eros pushing me like this, I could barely speak. "W-what does that have to do with me not seeing you in my dream?"

Eros sighed and pulled my body flush against his. "You don't dream of love. You never have, and you never will. You may be in love Apphia, but you will never dream of it." He nuzzled his face into my neck, breathing deeply. "So, until you learn to accept me, I will not appear in your dreams."

_Great._ I thought to myself. _That means that he won't be leaving me alone any time soon._

For now, Eros seemed contented with rubbing his fingers over my stomach. I prayed that he would keep his promise, and not force me. According to him, the prophecy would do nothing to protect me if he tried. I kept still and waited for the nightmare to end. Seconds before I woke, Eros leaned in to whisper one last thing.

"If you truly do not wish this to happen, meet me in the training arena on Olympus tomorrow."

Apollo's P.O.V

He hardly got any sleep. The sun god could tell that Apphia was uncomfortable during the night. She kept tossing and turning, mumbling small sounds. He considered waking her, but she needed her sleep. When the first weak rays of the waking sun stretched across the balcony, Apollo got out of bed to stand out on the verandah. The fact that he was naked didn't bother him in the slightest. He remembered a time not that long ago when all the gods would travel with no clothing.

When Hermes appeared at his side, he hardly flinched. "What is it wing boy?" He sighed.

The messenger god chuckled, then glanced back at Apphia's sleeping form. "I'm sorry, was I interrupting something?"

"Yes, actually. My peace of mind."

"I would leave, but I'm here on business."

Apollo turned his head to look at his half brother, noticing his golden helmet. "I see. What is it this time?"

"Zeus wants to see you. Preferably with clothes on." Hermes ordered, looking the older god up and down.

"Is this about the Apphia incident?" Apollo decided to ignore the jibe.

Hermes shrugged. "I don't know, but Zeus wants you to come to the throne room as soon as possible. No exceptions."

Apollo nodded. "All right, I'll be on my way."

"That's all I needed to hear." Hermes leapt into the sky, his winged sandals flapping away.

He left another note for Apphia, hoping that she wouldn't be mad when she woke up alone again. He dressed quickly before he left, glancing one last time at Apphia. It was funny, she looked angry as she slept. He would have to hear what she was dreaming about later.

Apollo arrived in the throne room to find his father and Hades speaking in hushed tones. He knew immediately whatever the meeting was about was important. Hades hardly ever traveled to Olympus.

Zeus turned as he entered the room, a fake smile on his face. "Ah, Apollo. How nice of you to come."

"It's about time." Hades mumbled.

"It's a pleasure to see you as well uncle." Apollo nodded his head towards the lord of the dead, ignoring the small flash of anger in the elder's eyes.

Zeus cleared his throat. "My brother brought me some interesting news just moments ago, and I believe that you should hear it as well."

Apollo looked at Hades expectantly. Could this still be about his sister? If it was, what would Hades have to say about her? As far as he knew, Artemis had only spoken to the lord of the dead a few times.

Hades looked as though he didn't want to confide in Apollo with his story, but he couldn't outright disobey a direct order from Zeus. "Your sister paid my kingdom a visit yesterday."

Apollo was definitely not expecting that. "Wait, what? Why?"

"She only wanted my permission to speak to Orion." Hades watched Apollo's reaction, his expression slightly amused.

"Did you let her?"

"No. Orion did not wish to speak with her."

Apollo frowned. He remembered Orion, that guy had been crazy for his sister. Why did he blame her for something that Aphrodite did? Unless he heard about Artemis's revenge…

Zeus put a hand on his son's shoulder, mistaking his silence for sorrow. "At least we know that she is safe."

Apollo shrugged his hand away. "Safe? My sister cared for Orion. She can deal with any physical injury, but a broken heart may break her."

Hades nodded. "She seemed…upset when she left."

Apollo glared at him. The sun god could tell that Hades was not telling him the whole story, and he was sure that the lord of the dead had something to do with Artemis' mood. However, that problem would have to wait for later on. For now, he needed to find his sister.

Artemis's P.O.V

She really didn't know what she was doing here. It was as if her mind had a death wish. Actually, that wasn't really surprising, considering what she had been through. Artemis looked up at the temple, knowing with every particle of her being that she didn't belong here.

The structure was small, but breathtakingly beautiful. It sat on a hill overlooking the beauty of Greece, yet it was easily hidden from travelers. Only those who wished to find the temple could stumble upon it. The fat white columns that supported the structure were covered in vines, though each one seemed to be part of the architecture. Two large rose colored banners hung on either side of the entryway. Each one held the image of a dove taking flight.

Artemis thought it was disgusting.

Still, the goddess stepped between the banners and into the heart of the temple. She remembered her last visit to this place, and Aphrodite's reaction to her. What would the love goddess do now?

When Artemis saw Aphrodite, she thought that she was looking at a poor villager who was seeking guidance in the temple. The woman's back was facing her, and she was kneeling at the base of the sacrificial fire. She was dressed in a large, filthy brown cloak with the hood thrown over her head. Her arms were stretched up to the heavens, as if asking the gods "why?"

It took a moment for Artemis to sense the power radiating from the woman. "May I dare speak?" She called, her voice filling the empty temple. The priestess's were gone, probably in the hope that their mistress would get some peace.

"I have nothing to say to the likes of you. Leave." Aphrodite did not move from her pleading position. Her voice was cold, yet uneven.

Artemis ignored her order. "You do not have to speak, but listen. I am not asking for forgiveness, though I know now that what I have done was wrong and…incredibly stupid. I should have known better."

Silence.

Artemis continued. "I am here to tell you that I visited the Underworld yesterday, in the hopes of speaking with Orion." The goddess thought she saw Aphrodite's hands lower a fraction, so she pressed on. "I was told that he did not wish to speak with either of us. He called us monsters."

"He had a right to." Aphrodite answered quickly, as if she knew all along. "We have behaved like monsters. Perhaps man is right, and women should not be treated as equal to them."

Artemis's eyes flashed. "You may believe that, but I am still the goddess of maidenhood."

"You lie. You have lost that title." Aphrodite turned, her multicolored eyes filled with nothing but defeat. Her golden hair was tangled and uncared for. Her face held no color, and even her amazing beauty seemed dimmed by her sorrow.

Artemis narrowed her eyes, trying to overcome her shock at the love goddess's appearance. "What do you mean? I have not lost my title."

"I would think that for one to be the goddess of eternal maidenhood, one would have to be an eternal maiden." Her expression did not change.

It did not take long for Artemis to discover what she was implying. She forced her voice to remain even. "I may have harbored feelings for Orion, but I never slept with him."

Aphrodite seemed to have trouble taking in the information. "You never…"

"Never."

The love goddess sighed. "You keep your title then."

"Is that what you were hoping for? That I would loose my name?"

"No, but I wanted to find a reason for why you shouldn't have taken revenge on me. I guess some part of me sees your side of the story."

Artemis could not believe her ears. Aphrodite agreeing with her? "So is that why you're wailing in self pity?"

Aphrodite didn't answer. She continued to stare at Artemis.

The huntress frowned. "You know, your better off without Ares. He's killed many of your lovers in the past."

"What are you trying to say?" Aphrodite snapped.

"I'm trying to say that…look, I do not wish to quarrel with you anymore. I do not wish to be friends, but I most certainly do not wish to be enemies."

Aphrodite huffed. "Then what do you suppose we do?"

"Allies. We will remain allies."

"As in war?"

Artemis smirked. "We are Greek gods, after all. You don't have to forgive me, and I can go on disagreeing with all of your beliefs, as long as we do not fight with each other." She waited as Aphrodite thought it over.

Then, at last, a small smile grew on her face. "I suppose…that could work."

Strange? Perhaps, but then again, when were the Greek gods ever normal?

A/N: Oh God I'm sorry I'm late. I really have no excuse, so I'm blaming my lateness on Netflix. Curse their endless movies and T.V series! I will try to post a new chapter every week or every other week.


	14. Eros (and Hades) are EXTEAMLY annoying

A/N: Ok, I am super excited cuz' I just planned out the rest of the story! It took all of forever, but I did it so two golden stars for me! Thanks to everyone who had liked/followed/read the story, and dealing with my poor descriptions and many errors. Happy reading!

**P.S. Please read this! Important!**

In this chapter, a bracelet is presented to Apphia. It is important, but only because it has something to do with the prequel that I am planning on writing after this story is done. I will only give you three hints: Modern day, Poseidon, different girl.

M'nMzutarians 4ever: When I read your spasm, I was all like "Oh God, she's just like me." Thanks so much for liking the story! I will make sure to put in more Hermes and Dionysus.

Apphia's P.O.V.

I knew that I was awake as soon as Eros and that stupid field disappeared. I was still tired, so I didn't open my eyes. Also, I wasn't sure how I would react to seeing Apollo. I had a feeling that he could sense my emotions, so he would know that something was wrong. I wasn't ready to tell him about Eros yet. It was a problem that I had to figure out by myself. So, I constructed a brilliant, absolutely foolproof plan:

Pretend to be asleep until I was forced to get up.

The only problem was, I wasn't alone.

"I wouldn't do that if I were yo-"

"Shhh! You'll wake her!"

"She's super cranky in the morning! I'm talking Queen Hera cranky."

"Then shut up, so she doesn't wake up!"

It sounded like two men and one woman. I didn't think it was the servants based on the way that they were talking. I guessed that it must be some nymphs sneaking into Apollo's castle or something. If Apollo didn't want them here, they wouldn't be here, so I decided to stick to my plan and wait until the intruders left.

However, that became difficult as one of them sat on my edge of the bed. I was painfully aware that I wasn't wearing anything, so several people might get a big surprise if they tried to lift the bed sheets.

"Ok, on the count of three…one…two…three." Somebody lifted my right hand very carefully, then slipped something cold onto my wrist. I twitched a bit at the touch, and the guy who was holding my wrist froze. "Do you think that she-"

I suddenly realized who it was. "Hermes!" I screeched, my eyes snapping open.

Hermes jumped in an attempt to get away from me, falling off the bed in the process. He landed on his ass with a loud "Oomph."

I glared down at him. "What the hell are you doing in my bedroom?!"

He gulped. "Um, I believe you mean 'what the hell are you _guys_ doing in my bedroom'…" He weakly pointed at Lilly and Dionysus, who were standing near the balcony.

Lilly waved at me, a wary smile on her face. She tried to blend into the wall behind her as my gaze turned to Dionysus. He didn't even acknowledge my existence, rather stare at his fingernails and sigh.

"Ok, there are more of you. Answer my question." I yanked my sheets up higher, glaring at all of them with a strong hate.

Silence. None of them dared speak. I suddenly remembered the cold thing Hermes had slipped onto my wrist. I slowly looked down at it, immediately filled with shock. Lying, on my plain boring wrist, was the most beautiful bracelet I had ever seen. It was simple, small and thin. It was made out of silver, with a intricate wave like design along it's edge.

I couldn't take my eyes off it. "What is this?"

"It's a present…from Aphrodite." Hermes seemed extremely hesitant in telling me this. Like he was fearful of my reaction.

"Why did she give me this?"

As I suspected, no one answered. After three minutes of what must have been horribly uncomfortable silence (I had no idea because I was too busy ogling the bracelet) Dionysus spoke up. "If everyone is too much of a pussy to talk, I'll tell her." He walked over to my bed, stepping over the still fallen over Hermes as he went. "So here's how it goes blondie. Aphrodite and Artemis made up."

"What?!" My head snapped up to him.

He held up his hand. "Not finished. So now they're bosom buddies again, or whatever. So Aphrodite is confused and goes to the fates to make sure that she is supposed to be friends with her former enemy, or something like that. You following?"

I nodded slowly.

Dionysus sat down on the bed, then continued. "But get this. The fates don't answer her question. Instead, they tell her a new prophecy."

"Another prophecy?!" I couldn't help it. I almost jumped out of bed, but I remembered my lack of clothes at the last minute. Couldn't the fates take a break from the prophecies for a few millennia?

Dionysus glared down at me. "Don't interrupt. So the fates tell Aphrodite that in the far future, a girl will heal the long broken heart of a god, she must do this or the god will loose his powers, blah blah blah. They give her this bracelet and tell her that the girl must receive it from _you_. And then-"

"So I have to give this girl the bracelet?"

Dionysus rubbed the bridge between his nose and forehead. "What part of 'don't interrupt' do you not understand?!"

I crossed my arms, waiting for him to continue.

"As I was saying, the fates tell her to not put the bracelet on, because once it is wrapped around a wrist, it can not be taken off until it's future owner is found."

I glanced at the bracelet. "Ok, so that means I can't take this thing off until I find the girl?"

"Yup."

"But that's stupid! Why does it have to be me?"

Dionysus raised an eyebrow. "Do I look like I know? It probably has something to do with the whole 'loving a god' thing."

I took a deep breath, and tried to convince myself that this wasn't a bad thing. The bracelet was pretty, so not being able to take it off was not a huge problem. The new prophecy wasn't necessarily about me, so I wouldn't be in any danger.

I looked down at Hermes, who seemed to be waiting for me to notice him again. "Why did _you_ give this to me then? Why not Aphrodite?""

He shrugged. "I'm just the messenger. Aphrodite gave me this and told me what I needed to know."

"So you told Dionysus."

Hermes threw a glare at his friend. "No. He stole the bracelet and wouldn't give it back until I told him everything."

Dionysus smiled. "You should have been there. He was all like, give it back! Give it back! It made my day."

I looked over at Lilly. She was busy coaxing a vine to grow over the balcony. "How did Lilly find out?" I asked.

Hermes rested his chin on his knees. "Ask the wine whisperer."

Dionysus shrugged, getting up. "Persephone and I go way back. I was her only friend when she was living with her mother. She's practically my sister. Plus, she gets pretty protective over you." He glanced at me.

I nodded. Back before this whole god business got started, Lilly was always looking out for me. She acted as though I was always in danger, as if I was being followed. In a way I was, but it unnerved me how she was always looking behind our backs whenever we went anywhere. I kept telling her that I was perfectly capable of taking care of myself, but she wouldn't respond. Looking back on it, I realized how funny the whole situation was. The flower goddess protecting a mortal from the sun. Weird, but that's Olympians for you.

Lilly walked back inside, a smile on her face. "I got the vine to wind itself around the support columns. Your balcony is going to look beautiful."

I smiled. "Thanks Lilly." I didn't have the heart (or guts) to tell her that vines creeped me out. Plus, I was a bit uncomfortable around her. The last time we spoke, she had revelaed something huge to me. I felt sorry for her, but I didn't know what to do about it.

Hermes jumped to his feet. Dionysus and Lilly both looked at him expectantly, so I did the same. His brown eyes were glazed over, and his entire body was stone still.

"What's happening? Is he alright?" I looked back and forth between Lilly and Dionysus, but neither of them showed any sign of alarm.

Lilly, without taking her eyes off Hermes, answered me. "Don't worry. He's just getting another instruction. He'll be back to us in no time."

Almost as soon as she finished, Hermes stumbled forward and blinked furiously. He looked around the room in a frantic manner. His eyes landed on Lilly, and he rushed over to her. "Persephone, you have to get out of here. Now."

Lilly took a step away from him. "Wh-what? Why?"

Hermes shook his head. "I can't tell you, but you got to get out of here. Your well being is at stake."

"What's the matter?" Dionysus and I said at the same time.

Hermes threw up his hands. "I can't explain! Someone is after her. You need to go! They'll be here any moment!"

Dionysus stepped forward and gripped Lilly's arm. "I'll hide her. You stay here." He instructed.

"What should I do?" I asked. I wanted to help, especially if someone was after my friend.

Dionysus shrugged. "Get dressed and try not to look like anything is wrong." He closed his eyes, and a cloud of gray smoke began to engulf the two of them. Right before they disappeared, Lilly threw me a frightened glance. I realized that she must be beyond terrified. This wouldn't be the first time that someone was after her.

When they left, Hermes walked over to my closet and tossed me the first dress he saw. He turned away from me as I quickly changed, his hands twitching slightly.

"Why are they coming here?" I asked when I was done.

He turned towards me, but his eyes were unfocused and panic stricken. "He can sense where she is when she grows things." He glanced towards the vine on the balcony.

I suddenly knew who he was talking about. "Are we in danger?"

Hermes didn't answer, but I knew what he would of said.

I cursed under my breath and looked around. I suddenly remembered something. Where was Apollo? I looked towards the bed and saw another slip of paper on his pillow. I snatched it and read it quickly. He had to go meet Zeus. No exceptions. I threw the note back on the bed and sat down with a huff. It seemed like he was always at some meeting nowadays.

Hermes began pacing the floor. I was so used to seeing him confident and arrogant, so this fearful side of him frightened me. If a god was scared, I should be petrified. We both threw glances at the door as the time passed, neither of us daring to speak.

I kept track of the time by chewing my nails. After two thumbs and one ring finger, the door burst open. There in the doorframe stood a very pissed off Lord of the Dead.

"Where is she?" Hades demanded. He was quite a sight. His dark eyes looked wild and dangerous, much like his billowing black cloak. He was gigantic and imposing. He could of crushed me between his thumb and pointer finger.

Hermes stood up straight in a salute. "She was here a moment ago, uncle." His voice was dripping with respect.

Hades didn't acknowledge that he spoke. He looked around the room, noting the vine. His eyes landed on me, and I suddenly felt extremely cold. I knew right away that if this man wanted me dead, I might as well kill myself to get it over with.

"Your Apollo's woman." He spoke to me, drawing me out of my thoughts.

Wait, what did he call me? _Apollo's_ woman? That's when stupid Apphia took over. "Hold the fucking chariot. I am _nobody's_ woman." I snapped, standing up.

He raised an eyebrow. "You dare speak to me like that mortal?"

I rolled my eyes. "I take it no one's told you that Apollo had to drag me to Olympus? I like to stand up for myself. Oh, and by the way, I'm a god's lover, so I'm not exactly mortal." My anger and stupidity only grew the longer I looked at him. This was the guy that had dragged my best friend to hell. Granted she had fallen in love with him, but that almost seemed like an insult to injury.

Hades looked me over, and I was acutely reminded how small I was compared to him. "Do you know what I am capable of?"

I crossed my arms. "So apparently you think I'm mortal and stupid. I know who you are, and your abilities. I also know that you kidnapped my best friend."

His anger suddenly cleared. "So you must be Apphia."

"Uh, duh."

"Persephone told me about you."

"Did she also tell you that I hate it when gods kidnap girls?"

Hades wasted no time in countering me. "And yet you have fallen in love with Apollo…how ironic."

I forced the blush I felt creeping up my neck down. I couldn't show weakness in front of this god. "I believe there was a prophecy involved in there somewhere. Besides, Lilly isn't like me."

"Lilly?"

I basked in his moment of confusion. "It's what I call your wife. Now, why are you looking for her like this? You know you scared her."

He frowned. "I didn't mean to…I just…." He cursed under his breath, and I thought I heard the name "Artemis".

I glanced at Hermes. He was watching the conversation with wide eyes, as if he couldn't believe how much of a dumb ass I was being. Taking on the Lord of the Dead? Could my life get any more dangerous? Apparently, it could.

"Look, Lord Hades, why do you want to find Lilly?"

He put his hand to his forehead, his eyes rolling up to the ceiling. "I'm looking for _Persephone_, because I need to know if she is happy with me."

I was a bit taken aback. I wasn't actually expecting him to tell me the truth! He must have been really stressed out. "Why would you want to know that? Wait, isn't there a law keeping you from seeing her in the warmer months?"

"Yes." Hades growled. "But I don't give a harpies ass about the damn law. I need to know."

I stared at him. The Lord of the Dead, stressing over a woman's opinion of him? _Damn, he must really love her._ I thought. So then, out of the pure goodness of my heart, I told him my opinion. "Ok, would you mind if I told you something?"

"Yes."

"Well that sucks for you then.. I know Lilly better then she knows herself sometimes, so you might as well ask me what I think. She once told me that when you first kidnapped her, she hated you."

Hades didn't react. I guess he knew that already.

"But then, she said that you started talking to her and treating her like an equal. Now, Lilly's a minor goddess. Hermes, Dionysus, and I are some of the few people that give her the respect that she deserves. She was given crap from her mother, her father, and almost everyone on Olympus. Then you come along and treat her like she's the best thing since winged sandals. You got her to see herself, and everyone around her for that matter, in a different light. So, you want to know if she loves you? She does."

Hades was a statue. When he spoke, it was almost as if he didn't move at all. "You really think that?"

I rolled my eyes again. "Look, I still think you're a overgrown child, but yeah. She loves you."

I could tell he was happy. He still looked gloomy and intimidating, but his eyes gave him away. I was willing to bet that he was the happiest god on Olympus at the moment.

He started to head for the door, but I called out to him. "Hey, when you look for Lilly, don't act like a lion hunting a lamb, alright?"

Hades glanced at me from over his shoulder. "Seeing the situation, I don't believe that is possible."

I have told people this for a million years, but they still don't believe me. The Lord of the Dead, the ruler of the damned, gave me a smile as he walked out the door.

"Please tell me that I'm not hallucinating. Did that really just happen? Did you really talk smack to _Hades_?!" Hermes seemed to be having trouble breathing.

I smiled and patted him on the back. "I keep trying to tell you gods that I can take care of myself, but you never listen."

"But-but-but…" He stuttered.

I glanced at my nightstand, noticing the bowl of fruit the servants had left. I walked over and grabbed a banana. "Stop stressing and eat this." I tossed Hermes the fruit, only to have it hit him on the side of the head. He didn't even try to catch it.

"You're not understanding this! You just insulted one of the original gods!" Hermes threw his hands up in the air, still ignoring the banana. "That's bad! No, not even bad! That's horrifically bad! Monumentally bad! Next to death bad! Bad, bad, bad, BAAAAD!"

I started to fix the sheets on the bed. "If you are finished with your tantrum, I would like you to leave." I said calmly. I had just remembered something I had to do.

Hermes shook his head in disbelief. "Why should I leave? So you can tick off another god?"

I picked up a pillow to fluff, hiding my evil smile. "Yes, actually. Good day!"

The poor god gaped at me. Ten seconds later, a small smile grew on his face. "Apphia Grace, you are now, officially, one of my highly respected friends."

I turned to smile back at him, only to find a cloud of orange smoke in his place. "I really hate it when gods do that." I muttered to myself. I glanced down at the floor, frowning at Hermes's forlorn banana. I really wasn't looking forward to meeting the love god, but it had to be done. I needed to tell him that whatever he planned for us, was not going to happen.

Now, I wasn't stupid. I knew that Eros would probably try to make a move on me, so I took certain precautionary measures to make sure that I was prepared. I hadn't been training in a while, but I could still throw a decent punch. That being said, I still slipped some knifes in my chiton. It wasn't exactly comfortable, but thanks to Artemis's training, it worked. Right before I left, I pinned Apollo's brooch on my dress in plain sight. Eros would know what he was in for.

I found Eros practicing with a sword in the center of the arena. He was stabbing the hell out of some poor dummies, and if possible, he looked fitter. My perspective on love must have become stronger.

"Why did you ask me to meet you here?" I called out.

Eros sliced the head of one of the dummies, not missing a beat. "I figured you hadn't had time for training recently." He shoved his sword into the gut of another dummy, all the way to the hilt. "I'm pretty good in combat, so why not have me as your temporary trainer?"

I frowned. "I came here to talk, not train."

He yanked his sword out, the dummy falling over. "Then why bring so many knives?"

I shifted my weight, suddenly uncomfortable. Eros hadn't even looked at me, and yet he knew that I was armed to the teeth. "How did you-"

"I didn't, but now I do." He threw my a dazzling smile.

I rolled my eyes. "Ok, so I wanted to be prepared. Do you blame me?"

"No, I expected it actually." He dropped his sword, and slowly made his way towards me. "People who feel fear often find ways to protect themselves."

He was getting close, so I started to back away towards the exit. _Stand strong Apphia._ I thought. _You need to show this ass that you are not weak. _

"You fear me because I am intimidating." Eros continued to move forward and talk at the same time. When he was a mere foot away from me, he stopped. "Or perhaps you fear me for another reason." He made a move towards me, but whether it was violent or friendly I will never know. I lashed out at him prematurely, drawing a knife from my sleeve.

He sidestepped my attack easily. "So you wish to fight me?" Eros waved his hand, a golden sword appearing in it. "Let's make a deal, shall we?"

I took a defending stance, watching him closely. "What kind of deal?"

He tapped the edge of his sword thoughtfully. "How about…if you win, I leave you alone."

I narrowed my eyes. "And, if you win?"

Eros smiled. "You allow me to kiss you."

I was instantly outraged. "What?! No!"

"Just once. Then after that, you decide whether or not you want me to let you be."

I glared at him, my mind furiously considering my two options.

Eros flipped his sword from one hand to the other. "Are you afraid that you will lose?"

After that comment, all sense of reason left my mind. "All right. Let's fight."

A/N: Short chapter, I know. Review please and maybe I'll write more!


	15. Eros is beyond annoying

A/N: Well, I have nothing to say about this chapter besides the fact that it contains three long awaited fights.

Theliantes: Glad you think it's getting better! If you like violent scenes, you sure are gonna love this chapter! (Hopefully :)

Apollo's P.O.V.

_I am going to burn the godling who thought of making mosquitoes. _Apollo thought darkly as he swatted away the bloodsucking parasites. He knew that Crete had a problem with the insects, but he had no idea that they could drink golden ichor as well as mortal fluids! Again, who was the genius that thought of that?! As he smacked another one on the side of his neck, he silently vowed that once he had more time, every mosquito who ever lived would die a horrible and completely unnecessary death.

Bloodsuckers weren't the god's only problem. The heat in Crete was intense, and he was the freaking sun god for crying out loud! What on earth was his sister doing here anyways? As far as he knew (and he knew a lot) Artemis did not like hunting in palm forests.

_She better hurry her ass up before I'm forced to burn something. _He briefly wondered if he would get in trouble for burning up the entire area of Crete…better not chance it.

He had heard from some local villagers that Artemis had been seen around this area. Whether they were lying did not occur to Apollo…until now.

He wondered briefly how Apphia was doing. He delved into her feelings quickly, and was happily surprised that she was amused at the moment. Hermes was with her, and there was something about a banana…Knowing Hermes, Apollo didn't bother to try to find out what that was all about.

A rustle in some bushes. Apollo leaned forward expectantly. Knowing his sister, she would probably appear as a majestic and graceful animal, most likely a deer. Artemis was big on first impressions and feminine strength, so she often chose animals that had danger and beauty mixed in with their appearance.

So, he was very surprised when a fat hairy pig stumbled out of the shrubs.

"Artemis?" Apollo asked, unsure.

Two large gray eyes peered up at him, clearly annoyed.

Apollo couldn't help it. He burst out laughing. Maybe it was because everything had been so hectic and drama filled lately, but the mere sight of his sister in the shape of a pig was enough to drive him to hysterics. The sun god clutched his stomach and tried, unsuccessfully, to gain control of himself. His sister snorted indignantly, and that only started another burst of laughter.

"D-did Aphrodite curse y-you or something?" Apollo tried to ask between laughs.

The pig rolled her eyes. "No. Get a hold of yourself brother. You are laughing when I thought you would be angry with me."

Apollo nodded, a large smile on his face. "I-I have never b-been angrier!"

Artemis sighed. She waited until her brother had calmed down before speaking again. "I had to disguise myself with the native wild life."

"Yes, but a PIG?"

"No one would expect me to be a pig."

Apollo hesitated, then shrugged. "True."

Artemis wrinkled her snout. "I take it Hades told you of my visit."

He nodded. "He also told me about Orion."

His sister didn't react. "I expected as much. I also knew that you would come looking for me."

Apollo looked around. "I have been wondering, why Crete?"

She blinked quickly and turned her gaze away. "I was looking for something."

"And I take it that you are not going to tell me what that something is?" Apollo knew the answer as soon as he looked at her, and that certainly did not help things. "What has happened to you?! You used to trust me."

Artemis quickly transformed back into herself. Her hair and face was the only thing clean about her image. Her clothes were ragged and dirty, just a traveler's rags. "I have my reasons for keeping things from you." Her tone was filled with warning.

Apollo's hand twitched at his side. "Oh yeah? What was your reason for keeping Orion from me?"

Artemis's eyes narrowed. "You knew about Orion."

"I did not know about your feelings for him! I could of helped you with his death! If you had told me, Apphia wouldn't have been hurt!"

The goddess brought her hands to her face. It wasn't clear if she was angry or ashamed. "I didn't mean to bring her into this. When Nemesis told me, she said that nothing would happen to her. The prophecy would save her. It _did_ save her!"

Apollo rubbed his hands through his hair, almost growling in frustration. He was so sick and tired of hearing about that damned prophecy! Sure it had saved Apphia, but it seemed to be causing so much trouble. It was almost as if everything in his life now revolved around that stupid prophecy. Because of it, the girl he loved was forced to love him back. He was sure that Apphia loved him truly now, but if the prophecy had not existed, she might have been able to stay at her own home until she was fully ready for Olympus. Yes, a large part of him did regret forcing her to come here. He was jolted out of his thoughts when his sister spoke again.

"If you hadn't brought her here, none of this would have happened! She could of become one of my maidens, like she always wanted to be! You ruined that for her!" Artemis practically screamed at him, her hands at her sides.

Apollo was enraged. "You know of the prophecy! She would have died if I didn't do what I did! Even then, she almost died at you hands!"

Artemis's eyes seemed to glow with an angry fire. "MY hands?! She could of died at your hands when you put that sign on her arm! Did you not once think about what SHE wanted, or were you only driven by your own male need?!"

That pushed him over the edge. Apollo let his rage take over his body, and a large explosion raked the area where the brother and sister stood. At least, it would of looked like an explosion to mortal eyes. The two gods knew what truly happened.

Apollo had produced his bow and fired an arrow at Artemis, who in turn fired an arrow of her own. Apollo's arrows were fiery and bright, and were known to bring a painful death. His sister's arrows were fast and quiet, and brought on a merciful painless passing. The arrows had collided, causing a horribly catastrophic explosion to fling the siblings away from each other in a cloud of dirt.

When the dust cleared, brother and sister stood around the edges of a blackened circle of soil. They both held bows and arrows at the ready, prepared to fire again. The palm forest was quiet. It was as if all the world was waiting, preparing for another strike. It was silent for a long time. Neither god moved an inch, but they both watched each other with a shocked determination.

Apollo was shocked because he had not anticipated his sister backfire. It would have been easier to side step his arrow as she was a goddess, but firing back? What was she trying to prove? Blue eyes searched silver as he sought for an answer, but her gaze gave nothing away. As always, Artemis was as mysterious as the moon.

When she spoke, the both flinched, having grown used to the tense silence. "Brother," She began, her voice quiet and calculating. She never once lowered her bow. "I know that you are angry. You have a right to be. Apphia has a righ-"

"Don't speak her name." Apollo was surprised how calm he sounded. Artemis's eyes widened a bit as he continued. "I will forgive you eventually I believe, for we never seem to fight for long. I understand why you did what you did, but I will always remember how you treated Apphia."

His sister did not reply. Rather, she lowered her bow and arrow to her side. Apollo did the same, but it was as if they were both still poised for an attack. His sister turned to leave, but as she did, Apollo thought of something he had been longing to say.

"Artemis."

His sister froze in her tracks. He wasn't surprised, he rarely called her by her name. She turned to look at him expectantly, her fingers curling self consciously around her bow.

Apollo took a step back, his voice quiet. "You say that men are the problem of the world, yet you are always apologizing for your actions." He didn't wait to see her reaction. As he transported back to Olympus, he couldn't help but feel the slightest twinge of guilt. He pushed it down. As his sister would say, guilt was weakness.

Apphia's P.O.V.

As soon as I agreed, Eros dove in for an attack. I dove to the side, but he anticipated my move. His arms wrapped around my chest, his sword at my neck. "And I thought for a moment that this would be hard." He whispered into my ear.

I pushed my wrists down and drove my hips back, easily falling out of his grip. I rolled to avoid his downward jab with a sword, then leaped to my feet. It was a simple defense move that often got me out of tough situations. I loved it because of how easy it was, but also because it made me look good.

I smiled at him. "Trust me, I am anything but easy."

Eros twirled his sword in his hands, and I realized that we were slowly circling each other. I took in the situation quickly, trying to find the pros and cons.

Eros had a sword. Con.

I had no sword. Con

I had four small knives. Pro.

I was better with swords than knives. Con.

Eros was fantastic with a sword. Con.

I was faster. Pro.

Eros was a god. Con.

I counted up the pros and cons in my head. Five to two. Not good. _What are you doing?_ I scolded myself. _Are you chickening out now?! You are Apphia fucking Grace for fuck's sake! You have trained for years to become a member of the hunt, you kicked a god's ass using only your sandal, you survived almost being raped by Ares, you stole Eros's bow and arrows, you stood up to Hades, and you got the one thing that all these gods seem to lack…brains. You got this._

When Eros attacked again, I was ready. He thrust at me, but I dodged low, pulling out a knife from my sleeve as I moved. I met his next attack with my blade. He pushed down at me with his arm strength, but I used that against him and kicked out at his legs. He fell to the right, and I dove to the left. I grabbed another knife from my….yeah, the important thing is I grabbed another knife. By the time I turned around, Eros was back on his feet.

I advanced, throwing one of my knifes at him. It nicked his right cheek slightly, leaving a small red line in it's path. It sounds cool, but don't be too impressed. I wasn't exactly aiming for his cheek.

Anyways, Eros looked pissed. He raised his hand to his face, then examined his fingers. He glanced up at me, then shifted his hand so I could see the blood. Eros smiled. "That was…pretty good."

I shrugged. "Thanks." _It would of looked batter if I had meant to do it…or if the knife had hit your nose._

Eros took a step forward. "Of course, you do realize that I will not go easy on you anymore." Several things happened at once. Eros lunged at me, and I tried to throw my other knife. Something grabbed my arm before I could let go of the weapon, and flung me into the air. I saw a flash of blue as my body turned to face the sky above. I tried to scream, but something covered my mouth. I looked around wildly, only to discover to my horror that I was flying, not falling. Eros had his right arm wrapped around my waist, and his left hand over my mouth.

Eros didn't even look at me. His eyes were facing forward, focused on the sky ahead. I, on the other hand, was focused on trying not to hyperventilate. Oh, and the six foot wings that were currently sprouting out of his back. Almost forgot to mention those.

I struggled in his grip, but it was no use. I should have learned by then that god's grips were strong. If only I could repeat the move I had done earlier! I glanced below me, almost passing out when I realized I could hardly see the points of the trees in the forest's or Olympus.

_Nope. Definitely not trying to escape from up here._

Eros, noticing how I wasn't struggling anymore, looked down at me. No smile included, which was different. "Having fun?"

I tried to talk. "Mrrrrrgggmmffffff!"

He looked ahead. "Yeah, I thought so." He dove for the ground, and I screamed behind his hand. In a quick flip, I was on his back, hanging onto his shoulder blades for dear life. We plummeted towards the ground and I closed my eyes, bracing for impact. It never came. When I opened my eyes, I was lying on my stomach, my face in some grass. My two knifes were lying far away from where I lay. When I tried to get up, I found something else. Eros was on top of me.

"What the…Eros what the fu-" I stopped talking as he pinned my hands above my head harshly.

"Swearing is not becoming of a young lady." He said cheerfully. I tried to kick my legs out, only to discover that he had them pinned between his own. I pushed my hips upward furiously, but stopped when I heard a grunt from behind.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Eros groaned.

I froze. _Oh dear gods I'm turning him on… _I bit my lip and tried to ignore the hard thing poking into my back.

"Now, I'm going to make another deal." Eros whispered into my ear. I shuddered, but whether he noticed or not he didn't comment. "You have exactly five seconds to get out of my grip. If you can't, then I win."

I bit my lip again, and began to struggle once more. I found to my dismay that I could hardly move.

"One…"

I tried screaming as loud as I could, but he only pressed my face deeper into the grass.

"Two…"

I thrust my hips upward again, hoping to distract him, but he pressed his hips downwards with mine in return.

"Three…"

I could imagine him smiling at my pathetic attempts. We both knew very well that I wouldn't get out of this in time.

"Four…"

I wanted to cry, or better yet, kick him in the balls.

"Five. I win."

I groaned loudly, but tried not to move. I was never one to go back on my word, but if he expected me to react to him, he had another thing coming.

With amazing strength, Eros flipped me on my back. He smiled down at me, his eyes on my lips. "Don't worry, I'm going to make this pleasurable to you." He lowered his body weight down on me, but not so much that it was uncomfortable. I closed my eyes and started counting from one in my head, waiting for this to be over.

I could feel his breath on my lips, and I pressed them into a tight line. When his lips touched mine, I felt nothing but his own warmth. I wanted to laugh in his face; I felt nothing for him. Then, he started to devour me. His lips covered mine completely, and he only became more aggressive when he found me unresponsive. His hand traveled down to grip my hip harshly, and I gasped a bit. My mouth didn't open much, but it was enough for his tongue to slip in.

He felt around my mouth slowly, as if begging my lips to move with his. My hands turned to fists at the sides of my head, and I tried to concentrate on anything but his lips on mine. Then, Eros picked up the game. He rubbed his hips against mine, rocking me slowly back and forth. I have to admit, it felt good, but I just closed my eyes tighter. Eros continued to rub against me, causing more and more friction across my nether regions.

_I will not groan I will not groan I will not groan I WILL NOT GROAN! _My mouth began to open as a low sound began to rumble out of my chest, but just then, a savior ripped Eros away from me. I looked up in shock to find Apollo pushing Eros to the ground, fury in his gaze.

Eros truly looked frightened for a moment, but then his arrogant smirk returned to his face. "Hello cousin."

Apollo didn't speak. He didn't need to. The threat was evident in his eyes. There was a long, tense silence. I could only guess that they were speaking to each other in their minds, because Eros suddenly spread his wings and took flight. Apollo watched him go, still refusing to look at me.

I stumbled to my feet. "Apollo, I'm so sorry. I didn't want to kiss-"

"-Why didn't you tell me?" His voice was different. I had never heard it this way before. It was cold and lifeless, and it cut deep into me heart.

"I…I wanted to deal with this by myself." I pleaded with his back, as he would still not face me.

"Is that how you deal with things? By kissing them?"

"No! Apollo, please listen!" In a rush, I told him everything I had been holding back. I told him how Hermes, Dionysus, and Persephone talked me into stealing his arrows. I told him how Eros had visited me in my sleep and how I wanted to set things right by myself. I even told him about Hades.

When I was finished, Apollo did not say anything for a long time. When he spoke again, his voice was quieter. "I knew I shouldn't have forced you to come here. It is obvious that you would have been better off at your home." He turned to look at me, and the hurt in his eyes was so strong that I took a step back. He misread my actions, and scowled. "Even now you are scared of me. I was a fool to think that you could ever love me."

I hardly noticed the tears running down my cheeks. "No! Apollo, I do love you! I love you so much it hurts! I will never keep anything from you again, I promise!"

My pleas fell on empty ears. Apollo turned away from me, and began to walk away. I sobbed and tried to follow him, pleading with him not to go. In my state, I tripped over myself and landed on the ground in a pathetic heap. When I looked up, he was gone. I was alone, and the pain almost killed me.

A/N: Review and follow! Please? (Offers brownies.)


	16. Pigeons are annoying

A/N: I am so sorry about my lateness. I went on vacation for a bit, and I am a bit busy at the moment. I apologize ahead of time for my future lateness. L This chapter is short, but I feel like I should put out something.

M'n'Mzutarians 4ever: Yeah, Eros really deserves a good kick up in there. Glad you like/hate the chapter! I decided that it was time for a first fight kind of thing, but don't worry! Everything will be taken care of soon.

Theliantes: Hopefully, it can! J

EmberFall: Thanks for liking my brownies! (Literally laughs out loud.) Glad you understand the horror and pain of braces, and I'm super glad that you like the story. Enjoy this chapter!

LostInMyDreams (Guest): Thank you for the compliment! That really means a lot to me. J Ah, yes I am personally in love with Hermes and Dionysus. Apollo and Apphia are great too, but I love writing for the two funny guys.

Melody Thorn: I absolutely love your enthusiasm! You're fantastic! Well, I'm updating now, so I hope that is ok with you! (accepts cookies.)

Through-The-Gray: Don't you wish that every relationship could be that simple? That you could be all like "get together" and they magically would? (Sigh.) I wish it would be like that, lol.

Meega: I'm updating I'm updating! :) Yeah, Apollo's great huh?

Miss Hyperactive Number 1: I'ma updating! Enjoy!

Apphia's P.O.V

A few tips on what to do when you go through a breakup. Food becomes your best friend. If you happen to be living in your ex's castle (and it's clear that he's not coming back) invite your human best friend to live with you. It helps if she's the goddess of flowers, because then you can be surrounded by floral beauty everyday. It helps take your mind off things.

Still, despite the chocolate and flowers, I wasn't doing very well. It had been an entire week since the fight, and I had refused to leave the castle. Some twisted part of my mind believed that Apollo would return, giving me the opportunity to grovel at his feet. I wanted to be prepared. I already had my apology written down and memorized. Yet, I was afraid that words could not describe the guilt I felt for not telling him about Eros.

"I'm an idiot." I muttered to myself. I was standing on one of the many balconies in the castle, looking out over the gardens of Olympus. It was in the middle of the day, so of course everything looked gorgeous. I hated the beauty. Apollo was gone. Everything should be black and dismal.

"Oh please. Don't call yourself an idiot."

I jumped and turned my head. Lilly was arranging some pink tulips in a vase behind me. I didn't know that she was there.

She rolled her eyes playfully at me. "Only I can call you names."

I didn't answer. That alone was a sure sign of my depression. I never back down from a taunting, especially when it comes from Lilly. It was like Apollo had taken my spirit with him. Lilly had a feeling that it had something to do with the prophecy…not like I cared about that thing anymore. It didn't seem to be working anyway. If it was, shouldn't I have died? Apollo and I had split, so I should have been rolling on the ground in pain.

But no. I was experiencing a new kind of pain, something that left me numb and cold on the inside. It helped a bit. I helped me bloke out my thoughts, and just go through the motions of a day without really thinking. Still, I would rather be in extreme torture than that numbing feeling.

Lilly, ignoring my silence, walked forward so she could stand next to me. "It's only been a week, so your pain is understandable." She talked in a matter of fact tone, as if what I was going through was perfectly normal. "We just need to find a way to help with…"

I stopped listening around then. What Lilly did not understand is that nothing would ever help me at this point. I truly was an idiot. Why on earth did I believe that I was able to deal with a god?! And not just any minor god, I thought that I could take down the freakin' god of love. If that isn't idiotic, I don't know what is.

Lilly's words began to come in focus again. "…and in time I'm sure you'll get over this."

My head snapped up to her face so fast that I pulled a muscle. It felt good to feel something, so I ignored the small twinge of pain. Lilly seemed almost frightened by my reaction. I guess that she was used to me being a moving statue.

"Let me ask you something Lilly." My voice was rough from no use, but still understandable. My tone scared me a bit. It seemed devoid of any emotion whatsoever. "If Hades left you, would you 'get over it'?"

Poor Lilly just stared at me for a moment, her mouth slightly open. She blinked once, twice, then began to speak. "I'm sure that I would-"

"-Think about it. You and I both know that you wouldn't."

Lilly didn't speak. I still hadn't told her about the confrontation with Hades (who had apparently not told her about it either), and I told Hermes to do the same. So, he told her that no one had been chasing her. It was all a big mistake. Dionysus thought that we were all idiots, but who listens to a guy who once woke up in bed with a rose bush? (Ouch.)

I could see that my friend was actually considering what may happen if Hades did leave her. She turned to go back to her vase, but I saw the slight glimmer of pain in her eyes before she could hide it. She understood.

"Look, Lilly, I didn't mean-" I began, feeling a bit guilty.

She interrupted me. "No, you're right."

I waited for her to say something else, but she remained quiet. Her form tensed up, and I thought she was getting ready to yell at me. Instead, she whirled around and glared at something behind me. I turned to see, only to get hit in the face with a bird.

I screamed, and the pigeon screamed too. It flapped it's wings in my face a few times, then fell to the ground in a heap of feathers. I stepped back from the bird, trying to remember how to breath.

Lilly gasped. "Poor thing!"

I looked up, expecting her to come and comfort me. Instead, she kneeled down and stroked the pigeon's neck with her finger. Oh sure, let's all help the stupid monster that attacked me in the first place!

The bird lifted it's right leg up towards Lilly, and I noticed a small note attached with string. Lilly grabbed it and read it so fast I could barely follow her movements. It seemed like a short note, but my friend's reaction was huge.

She gasped and stood up, her hand flying to her mouth. She glanced at me, then back at the note, then out over the balcony. Her green eyes were as large as dinner plates, but I couldn't tell if she was shocked, scared, or…extremely pissed.

"What's wrong?" I asked, already getting used to this whole "talking" thing again.

Lilly shook her head slowly, staring at me as if I was a wild animal that could pounce in an instant. She slowly lowered her hand, and crinkled up the note in the other. "Nothing is…wrong. I just have to go somewhere." Her voice was strange, bewildered. It was as if she couldn't believe what she was telling me.

I frowned, immediately suspicious. "Ok, what's going on?"

"Nothing that concerns you." She answered so quickly, I had to take a step back. "It's about Eros."

My eyebrows shot up. "If it's about Eros, of course it concerns me!" I had told Lilly about the whole Eros thing ages ago! She should have understood that I would want to know what he was doing!

Lilly, now moving very fast, grabbed my arm and pulled me inside, talking the whole time. "You see, Aphrodite caught Eros with one of her servants, and she is very upset with him. They are having a hearing for him in the throne room, and since I happen to know the servant, I must be a part of the trial." She dragged me into the bedroom and plopped me down on the bed. She began to pace in front of me, still talking very fast. "Hermes sent the message because he is very busy at the moment and can't come in person. Now, Eros likes to drag things out, so this trial can take up to a week if he chooses it too. You will have to remain here."

I shook me head, trying to make sense of all this. "Can't I come with you? I can witness against Eros since I-"

"-No no! You can't come!" Lilly shook her head back and forth very fast. "It's not for mortal eyes."

I rolled my eyes. "You know I'm technically not mortal-"

"-In the eyes of Zeus you are!" Lilly pointed her finger at me, like a child catching her sister doing something bad. "You have to remain here." Her face paled a bit, and her finger dropped to her side. "You will be alone…" She took a deep breath, and began to wring her hands together. She seemed to be deciding whether or not to tell me something. When she made her decision, she took my hands in hers and looked me straight in the eye. "Please don't….try anything while I'm away."

It took me a moment to realize what she meant. I yanked my hands away from hers, insulted. "Lilly! I love myself too much to…you know…"

Lilly shut her eyes and sighed. "I know, but it's my job as your best friend to worry. I'll send for someone to watch you."

I stood up. "I'm perfectly capable of watching my-"

She disappeared before I could finish.

I growled in frustration. Ok, so I had been a sobbing mess when Apollo left, but that didn't mean that I couldn't take care of myself! Lilly was supposed to be the weak one, not me! I glared at the pigeon, who had now hopped inside. "This is all your fault!"

The pigeon didn't answer.

"If you hadn't come, I wouldn't be stuck here!"

The pigeon still didn't answer.

I continued to glare at the bird, convinced that all my problems centered around it. "And now I'm stuck here with you. Great." I flopped back down onto the bed and put my face in my hands. My brain tried to wrap itself around my situation. I was sure of two things. One, Lilly wasn't telling me everything, and she was definitely lying about something. Two, whatever was happening, it was about me. Lilly wouldn't have just run off and left me unless she thought I was in danger if I came with her. Something was going on, and I wanted to know about it.

The stupid pigeon cooed at me. I could of sworn he was laughing.

I raised my head to look at him again, my confusion turning into rage. My brain quickly formed a plan that would help me take my mind off the chaos. I rose to my feet, the pigeon watched me warily. I slowly reached for an empty vase on a bedside table, and started towards the pigeon with a determined gait.

The bird squawked in fear and took off. I chased after if like the lunatic I was, waving the vase around my head like a weapon. I don't know how long I ran after that animal, perhaps hours. The dumb thing kept flying from room to room instead of just flying off the balcony. He pooped on the furniture several times, only making me madder.

He flew into a sitting room and disappeared among the furniture. I followed with my knees bent and the vase high above my head. My eyes scanned the room, and I swore my vision was trimmed with red. For some reason, I was having a lot of fun. Chasing the bird kept my mind of things, and it helped me let out my frustration. I almost cheered with joy when I heard a small sound behind me. I turned with a loud "Aha!", only to find Dionysus watching me with a raised eyebrow.

I felt the vase slip from my hands and clatter to the floor. "Uh, Dionysus! I didn't see you there."

He smirked. "Obviously."

There was a long, awkward pause. I stared at him, and he stared at me. What exactly do you say when your friend catches you chasing a small bird with a vase? If you ever figure out the answer to that question, please tell me as soon as possible. I'm still trying to figure that out.

Dionysus brought one hand to his temples. "Now I know why Persephone wanted me to be here with you. If you can't be alone without attacking harmless birds with bowls, then I can see why you need me."

I scoffed, putting my hand on my hip. "Harmless?! That thing was anything but harmless. Just look at the mess it made!" I gestured at the poop covered furniture. The pigeon chose that moment to hop out of hiding. He cocked his head at me.

Dionysus glanced at him. "You're right. He's absolutely terrifying."

"Shut up."

"No really. I think I wet myself."

I glared at him. "I don't need this. I happen to be in a lot of pain right now."

He had the nerve to laugh at me. "And this is how you handle it?"

"At least I don't drink away my problems." I snapped, not thinking.

Dionysus shrugged instead of exploding. "You got me there." He waved his hand and a jug of wine appeared. I winced at it, remembering my last incident.

He saw my look. "Want some?"

I actually thought about it for a moment. I mean, I had already chased a bird today. Why not get drunk too? I found myself suddenly saying "Yes", and taking the jug from him.

Dionysus didn't look surprised.

Lilly's (Persephone's) P.O.V.

Lilly felt extremely guilty when she left Apphia. So guilty, that she sent out a distress signal to the first god she could think of. Dionysus was a good guy, and she knew that he secretly felt bad for her friend. He would keep her company.

When that was done, she headed towards the throne room, the note still clutched in her hand. It was short, but to the point.

_Busy, can't meet in person. Aphrodite found out about Eros and Apphia. She wants to talk to you in the throne room. DON"T bring Apphia._

_-Hermes_

Lilly didn't know whether to feel excited or nervous. On one hand, Eros definitely deserved some sort of punishment. On the other hand, she had a feeling that Aphrodite would try to intervene with Apphia and Apollo. Lilly was sure that things would work out eventually, but she didn't know if Aphrodite knew that. The love goddess could be a bit…clueless, at times.

She walked up the path that led to the hall of thrones, a bit of nostalgia running through her. She used to come here with her mother when she was a girl, but that was before she met Hades. So therefore, it was before her life had truly begun.

She could still remember when she had first met him. She was walking in a field of flowers while her mother talked to some farmer. She had noticed a small pomegranate tree on the edge of the field. Curious, she had walked forward to observe it. It looked out of place, as if it were planted there purpose. Back then, she hadn't known that pomegranates where the Underworld's food. She had reached up to pick a juicy fruit from to tree, only to discover that she was not alone. Hades stepped out from behind the tree, his eyes full of determination and…hunger. She realized too late what was happening, and he grabbed her waist and pulled her into the shadows. She had been frightened, but a small part of her had felt safe in his arms. As if she had found where she belonged.

He brought her to his castle, and ignored her pleas and cries for him to take her back. She had been an absolute witch to him, even while his actions toward her were gentle and friendly. When she finally decided to let her into her heart, she felt as though her world was complete. She could still remember their first night together, him holding her close, kissing her with all his love and strength, pleasing her to no end….

Lilly was still lost in her own little world when she stepped inside the throne room, so the fact that Aphrodite AND Artemis sat on their thrones together did not hit her for a few seconds. She blinked several times, trying to see if she was merely seeing things. No, the two former enemies sat in the same room together, speaking in hushed tones. Unbelievable.

She glanced around the rest of the room. They were the only ones there. No Eros, no Apollo, no Hermes, just them.

"Ah, Persephone. It's been ages." Aphrodite called out, drawing Lilly's attention.

She bowed her head a bit. "Aphrodite. Yes, it has been ages." She refused to look at Artemis. That woman had messed with her best friend. In her eyes, she could never be forgiven.

Aphrodite continued to speak, understanding her unwillingness to confront the moon goddess. "I'm sure that Hermes explained that I found out about my son and his…unforgivable actions."

Lilly nodded.

"Do you know why you are here?"

Lilly paused for a moment. No, she had no idea why she was here. It suddenly dawned on her that her presence was not necessarily needed for this meeting, at least as far as she knew.

Aphrodite flashed her a dazzling grin. She was dressed respectable today, which was saying a lot. She wore a long white gown with a high collar, her hair pilled high on her head. The image of perfect. Lilly felt a bit uncomfortable in her simple yellow dress.

"You see, I am led to believe that you are Apphia's best friend." She continued.

Lilly nodded again. She wasn't exactly sure if she was allowed to talk. She was afraid of what she might say, and she didn't want to be embarrassed in front of the older goddess.

Aphrodite glanced at Artemis. "You see, the two of us here have made several…decisions of late without the consent of the people involved. We want to make sure that what we are planning is all right."

Lilly's eyebrows scrunched together in confusion. "I'm…I'm not following. Are you asking for my permission?"

The love goddess seemed to get uncomfortable. Lilly realized that this may have not been her decision. Still, Aphrodite spoke again. "Yes, in a way. We are seeking a punishment for Eros and we want to make sure that it is alright with Apphia. Since you are the closest to her, you can tell us whether or not our decision is acceptable." She smiled again, as if the plan was the smartest thing since chariots.

Lilly felt a prick of anger inside of her. "So, why not ask Apphia herself? You just said that you want to involve the people of your schemes." She demanded coldly, her embarrassment gone. Aphrodite threw another glance at Artemis, and this time, Lilly looked too. The huntress was still, like a statue. She was a dark blue gown that looked both durable and presentable. Her hair was pulled back by her recognizable moon tiara, but her expression was anything but dainty. Her gray eyes seemed to see inside Lillie's head, and the flower goddess realized that Artemis knew what she had been thinking about her.

When the moon goddess spoke, her voice was measured, but cold. "I know that you harbor feelings of contempt for me, and given the circumstances, I would expect no less. Yet, as much as you might hate me, you handle your feelings better then Apphia. Surely you know that."

Lilly did not respond. She had a feeling of where this was going.

Artemis continued. "If we asked Apphia to come here instead of you, she would be so angry that she would not listen to what we had to say."

"I disagree." Lilly found herself interrupting the goddess. "She has been around the gods for more then a year know, and she understands our changing emotions. She would hate not being involved in Eros's punishment."

"But this is not merely a punishment!" Aphrodite butted in. "We have come up with a plan that will both solve Apphia's, Eros's, and Apollo's problems!"

Lilly sighed. _Why am I not surprised? _"Are you sure that is the best plan for Apphia? This will work itself out."

"That's what I thought as well." Artemis said. "I was confused at first by the fact that neither my brother or Apphia were in pain. The prophecy said that they would be if they split, so it didn't make sense." She rested her hands on her lap. "But then, I realized that the two are still in love with each other. It is simply a misunderstanding. Yet, that's where Eros gets involved." She looked at Aphrodite.

The love goddess sighed. "Yes, my son has been a very naughty boy I'm afraid. The reason that the prophecy is not fighting him is because he is using his powers to fight back. The prophecy is based around love, and since he can influence that, he can hold it at bay while he is with her. Therefore, Apphia is not protected when he is around her."

Lillie's eyes widened. It suddenly made sense now! Why hadn't she thought of that before? Eros was simply dimming the prophecy the whole time! It was still in effect!

Aphrodite wasn't done though. "The reason that my son is chasing after your friend is simple. He has watched couples fall in love ever since he was born, and he has longed for that feeling. I should have never assigned him to watch over Apphia. He fooled himself into thinking that she was his for the taking. He simply needs someone of his own."

Lilly frowned. "I think I understand. But, you still have not told me your plan."

Aphrodite smiled. "My dear Persephone, have you ever heard of a princess named Psyche?"

A/N: This was a weird chapter, I know. And no, I have no idea where that pigeon came from. I guess I was bored. (Tee Hee). I promise that there will be more Apollo/Apphia goodness in the next chapter! Plus, a big surprise is coming! Also, thanks sooooooooo much for all the follows and favorites! I LOVE YOU GUYS! GROUP HUG! *hugs*.


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